Chapter 7
"Good morning, Madara-san!"
"Why are you here?"
"Don't be so grumpy," chuckled Shisui, quietly shutting the door behind himself. "We're here to get you ready for Uncle Fugaku's visit."
Unlike many of the other residents on the end of life unit, Madara was classed as a double – basically meaning that he required two healthcare assistants to provide personal care and maneuverer him. Even while old, he was a fairly big man (though nowhere near as muscular as he was in his prime, she recalled from the photograph Shisui had once shown her) and weighed far too much for Sakura alone to care for. That was before taking his bad moods into consideration.
"Anything in particular you want to wear today, Madara-san?" she asked despite knowing there was no real point.
He never had any preferences and always told her to use her initiative, although sometimes not as nicely depending on the time of day. Given the fact that it was reaching half seven in the morning, Sakura had already prepared herself for his grumpiness. She welcomed it, in fact. It was the perfect distraction from her moment with Shisui outside his room and all the questions it had shooting through her mind.
"No."
"If that's the case, then you won't mind if I put a tutu on you," teased Shisui, completely unfazed by the glare sent his way.
While perusing his wardrobe for an outfit, Sakura heard the sounds of Madara's bed being reclined and his responding grunts of exertion. The routine warning of not to move too much was followed up by the usual sharp retort that never failed to make her cringe inwardly, but similar to the glare, Shisui was unaffected, merely entering the bathroom to ready the bowl and wash cloth.
That was something else she admired – his laidback manner. Unlike many (even those in their line of work), Shisui never lost his cool even when he was being bombarded with insults and physical abuse. Everything was taken in stride and he never once raised his voice, never voiced his frustrations.
Admittedly, Sakura struggled to reach his level of composure and it was a constant battle to hide how some of the things that went on in their home, in particular the E.M.I unit, got to her. She never lashed out or snapped back, but it was blatant to all those around her, including the residents, that she was hurt. Sometimes some of them pushed even harder after seeing that.
"Here you go," she offered with a smile, holding up the casual pants and sweater. "It's supposed to be snowing today–"
"I don't go out, stupid girl."
"If you let me finish, grumpy man," Sakura shot back playfully and rolled her eyes, making Shisui smirk. "I chose it just in case your window's opened at any point today."
As expected, Madara showed no signs of apologising for calling her stupid, instead merely nodding in acceptance, saying, "Get on with it, then."
"You have a doctor's appointment this week," Shisui let his uncle know conversationally. Reaching out to the nightstand with a warning tip of his chin (she still thought it was cute that they seemingly had their own code for the more embarrassing parts of personal care), he grabbed a clean incontinence pad and his water wipes. "Do you want me to be present?"
Taking the sight of the pad and wipes as her cue, Sakura set the neatly folded clothes down on the dresser and turned her back in front of Madara. She could feel his eyes boring into her during the process of being changed, watching her every move to ensure she didn't see anything. It wasn't until Shisui's quiet murmur of his being decent that she turned to help with the trickier part of their routine: washing and dressing Madara.
"Will you already be working?"
Concern flashed through Shisui's gaze at the question and Sakura knew that it was once more due to his uncle's forgetfulness, making her heart ache for him.
"Yeah," he lied easily. "I was asked to cover a shift for a few hours until someone from an agency is sent."
She nodded her understanding when Shisui gestured with his chin for her to move around the bed, quickly pulling on a clean pair of gloves as she did so. Already in position himself, once she was in place and ready, they carefully guided Madara into a fully seated position on the edge of his bed, hands lingering for several moments longer while he adjusted his footing on the towel beneath him for the next part. To prevent it from slipping, they placed it on top of his nonslip mat.
"Are you ready, Uncle?" asked Shisui, hovering.
Since he was still capable of moving for himself, it was imperative that they didn't do all the work for him, Sakura reminded herself. They were there to help, not to take over. Still, the softer side of herself wished to ease the burden for him when Madara grunted from the strain, though settled for making the hand on his back more comforting once he was upright.
"Yes," Madara answered the earlier question, exhaling with relief and shutting his eyes.
It was a good thing Shisui was so clued in, Sakura thought with an inward huff of amusement. Being as proud as he was, Madara would never admit to wanting his nephew there for the doctor's appointment, but luckily for him, said nephew never missed a beat when it came to him.
"I'm going to remove your pants and start washing you now, Madara-san," she informed him quietly.
Knowing how deeply he disliked that part in particular, once she had his consent, Sakura made quick work of removing his pyjama bottoms, gently guiding each leg to raise just enough to slip the fabric over his feet. From there, she washed his legs down with the bowl of now warm, soapy water Shisui had procured, offering silent apologies when she neared his sensitive areas and he visibly grew more uncomfortable.
"Almost done," she promised at his grumbles.
Shisui's hold was unwavering and she warmed at the silence despite knowing his natural instinct was to lighten the tension (Madara wasn't usually the type to tolerate that kind of interaction during personal care, he'd told her when she first met the older man, for it made him feel as though he was being coddled).
The morning washes for their residents weren't to be rushed through or to be in place of baths or showers, Shizune often informed the units, and up until that moment, Sakura had always thought that it was just a courtesy reminder for those who tended to rush to try and get as many up or down. She'd foolishly thought that there was nothing behind it – nothing serious, anyway.
However, as Sakura's eyes caught sight of several worrying marks on Madara's legs, she realised the main reason for their morning washes. Aside from general hygiene, it was to take note of any new marks on the residents' bodies, particularly those who didn't get up much.
Pretending to be stretching so as to not capture Madara's attention to her staring, Sakura tapped Shisui's leg and pointedly looked to the marks, making his expression smooth out once they registered in his mind.
Pressure sores.
The tricky thing about Uchiha Madara was his stubbornness and pride. If he didn't want to sleep in a certain position or to be moved, then hell would freeze over before they got him to do it. Despite being a ninety-eight year old man who struggled to move by himself, that damned stubbornness of his granted him the strength to wriggle constantly until he was in a position he wanted, no matter the pain it caused.
"Well, Uncle Madara," came Shisui's sigh of resignation. "We're going to need to get Shizune-san in here to assess those sores of yours."
They were in the earliest stages and for someone like Madara who was essentially bedridden, had the potential of being common. She and Shisui spent at least twenty minutes during each of their checks easing and talking Madara into changing position for them, but as it was repeatedly brought to their attention during the last handover, she knew he was uncooperative with other staff. Then they had to deal with him moving back by himself, which not everyone could. They grew frustrated with him, just as he did them.
"What sores?" he demanded grumpily.
It was always better when news like that came from Shisui rather than her, hence why Sakura merely pointed it out to him so that he could take the lead.
"The ones developing on the backs of your legs," Shisui answered simply. "Are you hurting anywhere else?"
Considering he hadn't spotted any during the pad change, Sakura knew there weren't any on his backside so ruled that area out (she knew Shisui would double check once she was out of the way, respecting his uncle's wishes of her not viewing those parts of his body). However, she noticed that his heels were affected too, the red patches confirmed when she carefully washed over them and found they didn't turn white even when pressed.
"No."
She glanced up at Shisui, asking, "Should we get dressing for them now, or wait until Shizune-san has seen them?"
Once more assessing them from his position, he told her, "Wait. We're not qualified to be diagnosing or treating them."
That was Sakura's only issue with being a healthcare worker and not a doctor – not being able to take charge in moments such as that. Had she been licensed or qualified to do so, then treatment could have started immediately. Instead, Madara had to wait until one of them returned to the lounge and allowed Shizune to leave (for residents weren't allowed to be left alone once up).
"I'll finish up here and send Shizune-san down," Sakura said and she stood up, making quick work of washing and assessing the rest of Madara's skin. From what she could tell, it looked as though only his legs and heels were affected, which wasn't all that uncommon, for bonier parts of the body tended to be under the most pressure. "And you're all done!"
"Thank you, Sakura-chan," Shisui made a point of stressing playfully, but Madara was completely uncaring and she rolled her eyes in response. "I'll meet you in the lounge once we're done here."
"Are they pressure sores?"
Sighing once he was by her side in the lounge, Shisui nodded tiredly and rubbed the back of his neck, saying, "Category one. Shizune-san said she would request a static foam mattress from E.M.I, but I managed to talk her into letting the family buy one for him instead. Uncle Fugaku is going by a mobility store on his way here."
It wasn't so much looking down their nose on the quality of the home's mattresses, more so Shisui's knowing what it was like up on the E.M.I unit. She couldn't blame him for wanting a brand new one.
"He should have already been on one," he said with a faint trace of annoyance that didn't surprise her in the slightest, not even coming from him.
Nodding in agreement, because it seriously didn't make any sense for a man who rarely ever moved to not be on a mattress specifically designed for that, Sakura distracted herself from the building anger by glancing around the room.
A good majority of the residents from the other half of the end of life unit were awake, but from hers and Shisui's, there were seven. Nobody else had wanted to get up and that was entirely their choice, so neither had pushed too hard. Going off the way some of the residents were slumped miserably in their seats and once more asleep, Sakura was willing to bet not everyone was offered the same options. So did Shisui, if his sigh of annoyance was anything to go by.
"Fugaku-san stays pretty much the whole morning, right?"
He nodded once, though the troubled expression didn't leave him as he continued to assess the exhaustion in some of the residents' features and overall body language. While it was plausible a few had wanted to get up and start the day but fell back to sleep anyway, Sakura easily recognised a couple that were usually bustling with a shocking amount of energy from the moment they really woke up. It was horrible to witness, and she knew the pressure to have everyone up before handover was solely down to not wanting to be bitched at or about behind their backs.
Did it make her a terrible person that it didn't frustrate her as much until yesterday's handover?
"Uchiha-san is as cheerful as ever," Shizune muttered with an amused shake of her head, entering the lounge once more. Busying herself with washing her hands using the sanitising gel with her clipboard tucked under an armpit, she approached at a leisurely pace, assuring Shisui, "I've put it in the office and medical room that Uchiha-san requires monitoring and frequent position changes. Did you say your uncle would be bringing in the mattress at some point today?"
"He's ordering it as we speak," Shisui replied, and she noticed part of the tension in his shoulders lessen at their senior's reassurances. "Chances are, it'll be one of my cousins or myself who brings it in later today."
Of course, not many places were stocked up on those kinds of mattresses, instead ordering them from suppliers at the requests of customers. Sakura hoped Fugaku managed to find a place that already had them available.
"If we have Uchiha-san take a bath or shower tonight, we can swap them around then. Let's see who's in," Shizune thought aloud in a murmur. It was only once her hands were fully dried that she retrieved her clipboard and flicked through a couple of pages, smiling as she said, "Oh, you're both in tonight as well. That makes it easier."
"We'll do our best," Sakura declared, smiling.
Had it been their last shift of the week, would Shisui have felt unsettled and requested to stick around? Sakura risked a quick glance up at him to try and get a better read of him, only to blush when she caught his eye. Regrettably, that was all it took for the lock she'd placed on those distracting, improper thoughts to bust open.
What were they going to do? Did Madara's position change their plans at all? Were there even any plans to change?
"I better get a head start on debriefing whoever's on this morning," sighed Shizune. "As usual, make sure you wait until two of the others are in here before heading to handover."
Twisting her position slightly to keep an eye on those sat at the far wall, Sakura found herself aching with the need to question Shisui there and then, even though it was undoubtedly unprofessional of her to do so. It was just… Well, she'd never been patient and the wait to find out was killing her!
If Shisui took her home instead of what they were hinting at earlier, which was looking more and more likely, as disappointed as she would be, she understood his reasoning and wouldn't argue with it. While Sakura wanted to spend more time with him and to take that lunge to the next step of their developing relationship, she knew how worried he was about his uncle, meaning the chances of Shisui being in that headspace were slim to none.
Inwardly groaning when he made the rounds with the tea trolley, she copied his example, stealing repeated glances in his direction to try and get a peek into whatever he was planning.
"I knew it," he murmured impishly as they returned to the trolley together. Taking his time with pouring two cups of tea so that he could continue talking, he said lowly, "You're infatuated with me."
Her natural response was to snap that she wasn't, but Sakura fought it hard and whispered with mock sadness under her breath, "And here I was, just starting to regret not letting you kiss me last night."
He feigned a look of hurt. "Only just?"
Could she really say it? Sakura fretted once the thought crossed her mind.
Busying herself with pouring tea for Ai to try and collect the nerves for what she planned to say, she tipped her chin haughtily, waiting until a drop of milk was poured and stirred in before saying regretfully, "I was even considering inviting you back for coffee."
All pretences dropped much like the teaspoon in his grasp and Shisui's blush was unmistakable, but Sakura didn't give him the chance to reply, for that was the moment she turned away, ensuring to meet his eye a final time with her own lidded gaze while doing so.
"Saku–"
"Here you go, Ai-san," she said warmly, ignoring the flutters of excitement and arousal threatening to take control.
Waiting for handover to start was rough.
Standing beside Shisui when they hadn't been given a chance to continue the conversation that she'd kicked up a notch was agonising. More than anything she wanted to know what he was thinking, and whether she was too forward with what she said. What did he think of her advance? Had she read him wrong earlier when it looked as though he was about to make that same move?
Sakura placed down the residents' folders for the day staff to collect once handover was finished, double checking that Madara's was right at the top. It was unnecessary, she knew it was, but it was just to ensure that he wasn't forgotten about.
"Good, you're all here," Shizune spoke in clipped sentences. Already knowing what she wanted when she reached out towards Sakura, she was quick to hand her Madara's folder, giving a small smile of thanks for the seriousness of her expression and tone. "Uchiha-san has developed category one pressure sores that we all need to keep a close eye on, to try and prevent them from developing further. We need to be changing his positions every two hours and I have personally applied dressing that Etsuko-san will be assessing and changing regularly."
Etsuko was the other senior who was considerably older than Shizune and possessed decades more experience. Sakura had noticed from the first handover where they were both present that Etsuko disliked when the younger woman took charge, and she wondered if that was why she currently wasn't present. It wasn't that there was bad blood between them – more so wounded pride. It was no secret that Shizune possessed the greater skills and better standing with the company who owned the home.
"Uchiha-san's nephew has ordered a new mattress and during our brief phone call just now, a new recliner also. This is to try and open Uchiha-san to the idea of joining the others."
Sakura didn't miss Shisui's minute frown at the news, but being the professional that he was, he held his tongue and didn't voice his disapproval.
"While up until now we have respected that Uchiha-san dislikes leaving his room, his nephew, Fugaku-san, has spoken with a family friend and discovered that an old friend of Uchiha-san's is joining us here on end of life care."
The frown disappeared, making way for shock.
"We're hoping that this will also work for bringing Uchiha-san out of his shell and give him companionship," Shizune continued more gently and from under her arm, she revealed a new folder, holding it out. "His name is Senju Hashirama. His grandchildren are currently bringing him in with the aid of Fugaku-san."
Several of the healthcare assistants smiled widely at the news, one even saying, "He could really do with a friend."
"It might make working with him easier!"
That was if Madara wanted his old friend to see him in such a state, Sakura thought with an inward, heavy sigh. Going strictly off the stories she'd heard of his life and the way he ran his businesses, she was willing to bet his pride couldn't handle someone from that era seeing him now, fragile and confined to his bed. Of course, she desperately hoped that having Senju Hashirama hanging around brought him out of his shell and eased his loneliness, but they couldn't force it.
"That's what we're hoping for," said Shizune, smiling.
"Old man Hashirama-san is Uncle's polar opposite," Shisui spoke up with a shake of his head, but there was no missing the smirk playing on his lips and Sakura wasn't shocked in the least to see some of the other women swooning at the sight of his mischievousness. "And they bring out the absolute worst in each other. You better be prepared."
Some gulped nervously, others appeared determined and ready for the challenge.
More than any of that, what really caught Sakura's eye and kept her full attention, was the relaxing of Shisui's shoulders, was the softening of his expression. His smile was filled with hope and brought forth her own when they met each other's eye.
It would be a good thing, was what his smile told her, and it had Sakura grinning widely.
Since they were officially clocked out, she and Shisui had chosen to sit outside on the benches to wait for Fugaku's arrival. It was freezing and she could see her breath each time she exhaled, but there was no regret on her part, not even when she immediately jolted upwards after sitting down, causing Shisui to laugh loudly at her.
Not only had they needed a breather from being cooped up inside the care home for the past twelve and a half hours, but it allowed them to sit closer than usual to share body heat, comforted by the fact that they were tucked out of view of their colleagues. Also, with their jackets hiding their uniforms, it was difficult to tell if they worked there, so they didn't have to worry about residents' relatives approaching them.
It was definitely going to snow later, Sakura thought to herself with a smile, glancing up at the clouds looming over the care home. Although not a fan of freezing her ass off, she weirdly loved the snow – only fresh snow, though. Once it turned to that ugly sludge, she was over it.
A thick, firm arm bumped into hers gently, bringing Sakura's attention back to Shisui with a smile. "Thanks for sticking around."
"How else would I get home?" she teased, hoping she pulled off one of Ino's top moves successfully (otherwise she would definitely be quitting her job and refusing to ever speak to another Uchiha for the rest of her life).
Leaning her side into the bench, Sakura stretched an arm out across the wood until it bent at the elbow, knowingly pushing her breasts up against the table with the movement. She rested the side of her head into her palm, offering a small smile that took several moments for Shisui to notice, for he was too busy appreciating the curves she put on show.
It was an incredibly risky move on her part, but that risk decreased when Shisui shifted in his seat to straddle the bench, copying her in leaning against it. To outsiders, thanks to him doing the same, they probably looked lazy as hell, but Gods, the tension… It had nowhere to go in the non-existent space between their bodies, so bounced between them crazily.
"I suppose that's a good point," he murmured, smirking. "Looks like you're stuck with me."
Sakura resisted the urge to grin at his words, heart fluttering excitedly.
Growing up, she'd had several crushes, but none of them came close to how she felt for and around Shisui. Not even her old relationship could compete, and it made her wonder if this was how she was supposed to have felt back then too. Nervous excitement curled tightly in her stomach, making her almost giddy whenever they teased or flirted with one another – hell, even just watching television to pass the time between their rounds, Sakura was overwhelmed by how effortlessly he set all of her nerves alight. It was like no matter what they were doing, she was so hyperaware of him.
Did he feel the same way? Was he experiencing that same attraction that was determined on driving her crazy?
"Seems that way," she replied shyly.
Even when seeing it coming a mile away, Sakura was unable to handle the gentleness of his hand brushing stray strands of hair behind her ear, his expression softening at her stunned, happy reaction.
"Would that be okay with you?" Shisui questioned in a considerably lower tone, and Sakura inwardly squealed at his discreet glance around them to ensure they were alone, because that told her everything she needed to know. "Being stuck with me?"
This time, she had absolutely no intentions of stopping their first kiss.
Baring her heart to him, she whispered, "Yeah."
"You sure?" he asked quietly, thumb tracing her jaw.
Her only response was to finally close the distance between them, capturing his lips in a slow kiss that had the hand on her cheek slipping to the back of her head, cradling it adoringly.
Smiling into their kiss, because holy shit it was finally happening and her heart was just about ready to shoot straight out of her chest to give itself to him entirely, she relaxed fully into his embrace and continued the languid brushing of their lips.
It was more than she ever could have imagined, Sakura thought dreamily at his responding smile. Whenever she envisioned their first kiss, she imagined heat and need and inescapable lust, but this was… It held the power to eradicate her reservations about making that move, the tenderness that greeted her, the heartfelt emotions she could feel in the kiss, telling her that going home with him wasn't wrong.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," he whispered when they parted, hand drifting to the soft slope of her neck, fingers tickling her nape.
But she did. She knew because she'd wanted it in all that time too.
The sounds of cars approaching the car park was their cue to separate, but the silent promise between them while doing so eased the disappointment.
"About that coffee," Shisui murmured teasingly and stood, holding out a hand to Sakura. Blushing at the reminder of how forward she'd been, she anxiously awaited his continuation, only for her heart to race as he helped her stand and offered, "How about we get some to-go and go back to my place instead?"
Yes. Yes, yes, yes!
Instead of showing how utterly relieved and eager that made her, Sakura pretended to think it over, drawing it out until the cars pulled up behind her, their engines shutting off. Then, with a pounding heart, she said, "I suppose we'll need the caffeine."
Interest sparked in his eyes, leaving her breathless at the intensity of his need, but then he fought it back now that they were in the eyes of others, saying, "We definitely will."
It was Fugaku and Senju Hashirama's family who pulled up, Sakura realised at the recognition in Shisui's expression, and she used the time he spent greeting them all to shoot off that text to Ino. And the response was swift, the picture that flooded her screen bringing a nervous giggle to her lips as Sakura took in the sight of Ino holding up a string of condoms above her overnight bag, the blonde's expression proud and full of mirth as she crouched into the selfie and complementing the victory sign perfectly.
It was happening.
Noticing Shisui taking a half step back and gesturing to her, Sakura pocketed her phone and approached with a smile at Fugaku's surprise.
He was dressed for the cold weather, wrapped up in a thick jacket and knitted scarf but beneath it, she could see his suit. No doubt he only had the morning off and would need to go straight to work afterwards.
"Haruno," he greeted, nodding. "I heard you were working here."
She'd yet to actually see any of the Uchiha family visiting, for they were always alternating between day and night shifts across all three units. Whenever Sakura was working the days, she always hoped to be placed on end of life, just to increase the chance of seeing her friend, Sasuke, since it was incredibly rare for them to manage to find the time to hang out nowadays. Even just seeing him in passing would have been nice, she always thought to herself.
"How is everyone?" she asked politely, then pouted at his typical response, telling him, "I haven't seen Sasuke-kun in months. He's constantly saying he's too busy to hangout."
"That brat," sighed Shisui with mock disappointment, shaking his head. "He must be too busy working on his guitar skills."
Oh, shit.
"Guitar skills?" Fugaku questioned, looking between them. "Sasuke doesn't play guitar."
He wouldn't!
But just as Shisui reached for his phone to share the video they were all sworn to take to their graves with them, the sound of a commotion from the other side of Fugaku's car had the older man sighing, hand coming to his forehead like he was already tired of dealing with them and regretting his decision to help settle Hashirama in.
"Nawaki!" came a growled reprimand from the granddaughter she'd briefly been told about. "Don't run with him!"
Run with him?
Allowing her nosiness to get the best of her, Sakura peeked around Shisui and couldn't help the way her eyes widened and jaw dropped dramatically at the sight that met her.
A man around Fugaku's age was gripping the handlebars of a wheelchair, leaning over it in preparation even with a busty, considerably older blonde woman blocking the ramp to the entrance. Her arms were folded resolutely over her chest, expression full of cold warning not to push her any further.
What really had her close to losing it altogether, however, was the man who looked as ancient as Madara gripping the armrests of his wheelchair, shuffling awkwardly in his chair to lean forward eagerly. Although she couldn't see his expression, she could tell that he was raring to go, because it had the woman throwing her hands in the air with disbelieving resignation.
"Ignore your grumpy older sister, Nawaki," laughed Hashirama and Sakura warmed to the sound of his light-heartedness. "Show me how fast you can go."
There was no way she could stop them, and that thought was confirmed when she quickly stepped aside at her brother's warning, glowering angrily.
"You're ninety-nine, Grandfather," she yelled after them with a shaking fist when they sped by her without a backwards glance. "Act your age!"
"Wow," she whispered to the two Uchiha men.
"You have no idea," muttered Fugaku under his breath before approaching the irate blonde. "Go ahead and sign him in, Tsunade-san. Shisui will bring the bags in."
Tsunade.
Tsunade?
Gripping Shisui's bicep to bring him to a halt just as he turned for the car, Sakura demanded, "Senju Tsunade?"
"Ah, I forgot you said you wanted to be a doctor once," he said with a chuckle, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah. That's the Senju Tsunade. Come on, help me bring these bags in and I'll try to introduce you both once the old man's settled in."
Tsunade was widely regarded as a miracle worker in the medical field and had been the leader of the medical corps in not just one war, but several. Between wars, she and her husband were known to travel and visit the towns and cities devastated by said wars, offering their aid and compassion during the healing and rebuilding process.
Grabbing as many as she could to lessen the trips, Sakura all but skipped into the building once more, smiling widely when they instantly caught the family's attention.
"Oh, look at her, Tsuna!" cheered Hashirama, nudging his granddaughter who was currently scribbling their names down onto the registration form at the reception desk. "She's got pink hair. Isn't that strange?"
Her smile faltered, making way for a ticking brow.
Sparing a glance over her shoulder, Tsunade rolled her eyes, scolding her grandfather with a dismissive, "Leave her alone, old man. She's helping you move in."
"Oh, is that so?" Surprising her with his strength as he wheeled himself forward, he met her halfway and gestured to his lap, saying, "Throw a few bags on here, child. You should not be carrying them all yourself."
She smiled sheepishly. "It's okay, Senju-san-"
"Senju-san?" he repeated, laughing. "I've lived a life of formalities. Please, call me Hashi-san."
Hashi-san?
"Sorry about Grandfather," groaned the man who'd accompanied them, Nawaki. He walked up behind the wheelchair after signing himself in, hands once more on the handlebars. "My daughter calls him Hashi-san and as you can see, it's grown on him."
That was so sweet, Sakura thought lovingly, completely uncaring if she looked ridiculous for being so swept away by it all. "Well, if it helps make you feel more at home and you're definitely comfortable with it, then I have no problems in calling you Hashi-san."
He grinned.
"There's one more load to go," came Shisui's sigh as he stepped through the automatic doors, visibly grateful for the burst of warm air that greeted him. Like hers were, his arms were full of heavy bags. "Let's put these ones in Hashirama-san's room-"
"Shisui-kun?" demanded Hashirama warmly and he rolled himself forward, leaving his grandson behind. "Is that you?"
He grinned, forced to come to a stop in front of the old man. "Aa."
"I haven't seen you in over ten years," he said in a state of disbelief. "You look just like your father."
Like his father? Was that the Kagami that Madara briefly mentioned? Sakura wanted to question him, but was unprepared for the flash of deep sadness in Shisui's expression at the words, briefly stealing her breath.
Clearly, it was a sensitive subject for him and so she stored it away instead, coming to stand by his side with a playful pout.
"What do you think you're doing standing around, Shisui?" she demanded in a whine. "Lead the way!"
He looked to her gratefully and it confirmed what she suspected, making her heart clench for him.
His father was probably dead, wasn't he?
"Sorry, Hashirama-san." There was no way to tell if his playfulness was forced or not, but the short lapse of awkward, upset silence seemed to have simmered Hashirama's previously good mood, letting him know he put his foot in his mouth. "I can't deny this beautiful woman. We'll catch up tonight, okay?"
The interest returned full force and he looked between them, questioning with a lilt to his voice, "Oh?"
"Mind your business, old man," snapped his granddaughter hotly, once more shaking her fist.
They didn't tell Madara of Hashirama's moving into the unit immediately, giving Tsunade and Nawaki the chance to settle their grandfather into his room and set up it to his liking. The senior on shift, Etsuko, joined them to help out and learn more about their newest resident, dismissing Sakura and Shisui after their final trip with Hashirama's belongings. Although it meant she wasn't going to be introduced any time soon, it did allow them to return to Madara's room, so she didn't really complain.
Usually, doors were left open when residents had visitors, but nobody dared to stand against Uchiha Madara and his foul moods, allowing him to keep it shut. So, despite knowing that he would be decent (since Fugaku was already inside), they knocked politely in warning, entering once they were given consent by the man.
"You're back," Madara greeted his great-nephew. "Where did you go?"
Seated in the recliner that was placed next to Madara's bed for the duration of his visit, Fugaku shuffled through a couple of files, placing them down on the older man's wheeled trolley that was hovering over his legs. To her, they looked like contracts of some kind and it took her a couple of discreet glances downwards to note that they were stamped with the company's logo, making her heart warm at how Fugaku ensured his uncle remained up to date with their family business. It was a great way of allowing him to feel as though he was still important, that his say was valid and appreciated.
"We had to help out with something. They'd be lost without us, Uncle," Shisui said jokingly with a sigh.
Rolling her eyes and placing her hands on her hips, Sakura quickly put him back in his place with a haughty, "Please. I carried the heaviest stuff."
Madara snorted. "You allowed a girl with pink hair to show you up, you brat?"
"Oi, don't underestimate Sakura-chan," he shot back disbelievingly. "She's freakishly strong, you know."
Hardly, she wanted to laugh. It wasn't until she started working in the care home that Sakura realised she needed to start training with weights, just in case she was ever paired up with someone of equal stature to herself and needed extra muscle to manoeuvre residents.
"Don't mind him," came the old man's mutter at Fugaku's surprise towards their interactions. Adding mockingly, he said, "He has a plan."
"A plan?"
Sakura's cheeks coloured ferociously and the colour only deepened at Shisui's lopsided, carefree grin. Then, leaving her completely at the mercy of the two men who looked to her closely, he busied himself with adjusting the temporary pressure relieving cushions beneath Madara's legs and feet, asking quietly if he was comfortable.
"Do not be put off by her hair colour. This one is good, Fugaku," assured Madara with a single, wise nod. "Don't allow the boy to mess it up."
"What am I missing?" questioned Fugaku, only for his eyes to widen ever so slightly at the blush on her cheeks and shy smile. To try and escape his surprise, she turned and set to brewing them both cups of tea, damning Shisui for his laughter at her expense. "You two…?"
"Not yet," Madara stated disapprovingly. "Apparently our idiot nephew has to follow some ridiculous plan to make her fall for him."
Hidden due to her back being to them all, Sakura didn't stop her giddy grin.
"I'm sure Sasuke will be thrilled," came his under the breath, sarcastic response.
"What was that?"
"I said it's about time. Mikoto will be thrilled."
Laughing once more, Shisui came to her side and leaned back against the wall, assuring them, "Sasuke-chan's only issue will be the amount of blackmail material from his school years I can get my hands on."
Fugaku's sigh was weary. "That is what has me worried."
"Don't be ridiculous, Fugaku," reprimanded Madara and she turned in time to see his harsh grin. It was quite the scary sight, she thought with a mental shudder. "It is our duty as the elders to keep the younger ones in line. That is all the boy is doing."
She snorted at that, muttering, "More like torturing poor Sasuke-kun."
Shisui grinned wickedly, much to her poor heart's shock.
"Someone must do it," he shot back, smirking. "We all know that Itachi is too soft on him."
Placing the tea down for them both well out of way of the important documents, Sakura returned to the other side of the room beside Shisui, making it a point to not peer down at them any more than what she already had.
"Do you both remember the way Sasuke-chan ran circles around Itachi as kids?" questioned Shisui and she looked to him curiously, intrigued to hear more about their childhood.
Fugaku's chuckling caught her attention, but it was Madara who answered with evident amusement, "That boy used to run naked through the garden while screaming when it came to his baths. It was Itachi's job to chase him down on behalf of Mikoto."
There was no controlling her laughter as she imagined it for herself. "No way."
It was so odd witnessing how open Madara was in the presence of his family members and even after two months of working at the home, she found herself still being surprised at the sight, watching them all with a warming heart. Missing how he thrived in their company was impossible, confirming the painful suspicions that he often grew lonely in his room and self-isolation.
She hoped, more than anything, that he would be able to be open with his old friend, also.
"He hated bath time," Shisui told her, grinning. "The only way he'd take them was if Itachi stayed with him."
"Both of your children are strange, Fugaku."
"Aa, but you love them dearly," countered Shisui.
He sighed, but there was no mistaking his content smile.
A/N - I cut this short just in case there's anyone who dislikes smutty chapters (head's up: next chapter is basically aaaaaall smut and fluff).
I'm not sure how many of you follow me on Tumblr or Ko-Fi (username is riseoftheblossom-ff on Tumblr and riseoftheblossom on Ko-Fi for those who might want to follow me - you can also see my art there too), but just in case you didn't see the announcement: I have put four of my stories on hiatus due to my poor mental health/falling out of love with the stories/having way too much going on in my life.
Stories on hiatus:
Red String of Fate
Dying Embers
So This is Love
Discoveries
As well as this, I have also dropped to one weekly update, simply because I can't keep up with anything at the minute and it's starting to burn me out. Don't worry to those of you who bought commissions, they will continue as planned, although I have now taken the multi-chapter story option off the commission requests.
Here's the schedule:
Week 1: Ghost Inside My Chest (COMMISSION)
Week 2: Could Roses Bloom? (COMMISSION)
Week 3: The Shadows of Your Heart
*Week 4: Dying Embers [ON HIATUS]
Week 5: Then Our Hearts Combined
*Week 6: So This is Love [ON HIATUS]
Week 7: Unravelling Since I Found You (COMMISSION)
Week 8: But Still, I Rise (COMMISSION)
*Week 9: Red String of Fate [ON HIATUS]
Week 10: Mercy, Love & Other Useless Things (COMMISSION)
Week 11: Come Undone (COMMISSION)
*Week 12: Discoveries [ON HIATUS]
Thank you to everyone who's supported me so far and continues to do so! It's massively appreciated and needed at times like these.