Part 4

They were going to try. Try to proceed like they were the average, regular couple. Doctor's appointments together, dinners, dates even. They managed to go through the motions quite well, playing the parts of commitment and stability. Since they were already living together, there wasn't much adjustment needed on that front, but now they weren't hiding things. Shizune even attempted to take cute, couple pictures which proved to be difficult to do when a certain someone's expressions were normally limited to one eye. Every now and then, she'd get a good smile out of him. A half-face-covered, eyes-only smile that was the best he'd do in public, but she was determined to get one decent picture of the man before things got too hectic.

However, showing affection in public was harder for her. She had a difficult time being sentimental in the open. A quick picture was easy enough, but things like walking arm-in-arm weren't. Her mind would get in the way, over-analyse her actions before they happened, and discourage her from going through with it. Kakashi didn't seem to have this hang-up, and he took to normal much better than she. Either he was better at ignoring the awkwardness, or he was better at pretending, but she figured that his shame reflex had gone a long time ago. You'd have to become pretty brazen to read Icha Icha in public without blushing. She'd taken a peek into one on those novels years ago when she spotted one in Tsunade's bag, and just the memory of one passage was enough for her to blush now.

"Jiraiya-sama had been quite the racy man after all," she mused while averting her eyes slightly.

Kakashi, on the other hand, was cheekier in his remarks, more flirtatious in his interactions, had taken to spending more time with her. He'd randomly show up on her errands and walk with her, sometimes carrying her bags, showing a rare display of chivalry. Kakashi wasn't too fond of chivalry because he knew perfectly well that a woman could be just as capable as he, but even so, one should help his pregnant girlfriend in these situations.

On just such an occasion, she'd been at a local apothecary replenishing supplies for her personal herb stock, and he came up beside her as she picked up another sachet to put into her bag. He gingerly took the bag from her arms, smiling his signature eyes-only smile, and she stepped back in surprise at his sudden proximity.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" she breathed out, shaking her head as she let go of the parcel in her hand.

"I'd hardly call that sneaking," he replied, dropping his smile into nonchalance again, "There's a bell on the door, and the shop attendants both greeted me as I came in…"

"Oh, I suppose I was just distracted then," she answered, sheepish that she'd been caught off guard.

As she walked around the store picking up more items, they talked about the latest unclassified updates about the recent approach to Ame and Kusa joining the Union, and she perked up when he mentioned that they were cautiously receptive. The stronger the Union, the more likely that it would survive into the future. They'd fallen into a comfortable conversation just as they would have in the past, saving more thorough talk about the issues until they were out of the public eye. Couldn't go around discussing sensitive issues in front of civilians, now could they?

Which was why the transition into the public eye was so difficult for Shizune. Kakashi had been admired by shinobi and civvies for years, seemingly indifferent to the attention. For Shizune, her life was spent in the background, making moves in the shadows, and it used to be never staying in the same place for too long and occasionally using disguises to literally hide away in plain sight. This was so opposite of every instinct, that she was having a most difficult time dealing the increased stares they attracted together. Shizune really didn't like the attention; she felt so exposed, so scrutinized.

Walking down a street in Konoha, she could sense the number of eyes peering at her, even ones that were meant to be unobvious. It was difficult to keep a low-profile while walking with the Hokage and while carrying his child. You'd think the villagers had better things to do than gawk and nose into someone else's business, and she could feel her annoyance getting the better of her. Glancing over at Kakashi, it was as if he'd tuned them all out, hands in his pockets, the overly-warm Hokage jacket billowing in the slight wind of the day.

"He's just so zen," Shizune thought while trying to keep from looking at the ground, frowning in tempered envy, "If only I could glean a little bit of that zen right now…"

She wanted to take his hand, maybe draw some confidence or garner support from him, but she didn't want to be so needy and obvious. Ever-perceptive, he reached over and intertwined their fingers, backs of their hands touching, giving her petite fingers a small, comforting squeeze.

"Don't worry so much," he said, giving her a small smile, "They aren't seeing anything they didn't already know."

"But, there are expectations," Shizune whispered back as they reached the Hokage building, "I can't go around behaving like a schoolgirl."

"Forget the expectations," he replied to her while whisking away into his office, "I didn't fall in love with my expectations of you, after all. I fell for you. So, they can adjust."

Shizune stopped cold, the fading warmth of his fingers only barely noticeable after the utter bombshell that he'd just dropped on her. Did he really just say that, just so casually as if it wasn't a big deal at all? She'd hoped, of course, for this progression, but it's always different to hear it said out loud.

"And he did in the middle of all of these people," she thought frantically as she glanced around the shinobi crossing the veranda.

Even though she had no work to do at the hospital, Shizune decided not follow him inside while still being so shocked. Better to think it through and not make rash moves, she thought with a gleeful smile as she headed home to have a spot of tea and decide how to proceed with this new information. She, no doubt, loved him, but reciprocity was a nice development.

Thanks to treyabarton for the beta-read on this chapter!