A/N: Thank you all for your lovely reviews. They are much appreciated.

I'm staying strong. I hope you are too.

Enjoy


Chp6: Rediscover

The next morning

Sai felt his eyes stir behind his closed lids. He felt surprisingly free and utterly stated for some reason. Suddenly the sheets beneath him began to stir, and this caused Sai's eyes to blink open. Bleary-eyed, he looked down then only to find that he was utterly bare, except a sheet that had been thrown over him. There was the morning sunlight spilling into the room, making everything brighter.

"Mm ugh," Sai then heard a voice mumble. It had felt like a distance and an altogether unfamiliar notion for him to have company in bed. It was then that Sai remembered, so he turned sharply to find an equally bare Ino. She was sitting up and making a face as she stretched. Everything came rushing back, and Sai found himself truly glad to have her by his side. Concern was quick to follow at her slightly pained expression.

"Are you okay?" Sai suddenly asked then.

Ino, who had not been expecting the question, found herself jumping. She turned to face Sai then. "Oh," she said in surprise, "Sorry, did I wake you?"

Sai merely shook his head before he waited for her response.

"I'm fine," Ino reassured. She was feeling utterly languid, albeit a little sore from their nights' activities. "You didn't disappoint," she made sure to add.

Ino held back the fact that she had woken up merely an hour after they had drifted off to pull away from Sai since he had taken to subconsciously rutting against her in his sleep in a seemingly lustful attempt to find his way back inside her. The knowledge would mortify Sai, who, even with her light compliment, had grown red. Ino hid her smile as he sat up then. Ino began to shift in response as she felt her bladder being pressed on. With a heavy sigh, her hand went to her stomach as she tried to get into a comfortable position with the extra weight. All the while, Ino could feel Sai staring at her.

"Is it that shocking to see?" Ino asked, trying to make a joke out of the situation but quickly moving to cover herself up with the sheet. The rising pink tinge to her cheeks indicated her embarrassment.

"No!" Sai answered quickly out of habit when Ino wouldn't meet his gaze, "It's just that this is my first time seeing you like this, that is all."

Ino cast an amused look out of the corner of her eye with this statement while holding the sheet more securely. "You saw me last night."

Sai's expression became sheepish then as his face recoloured, "Not really because I was preoccupied, and you had your back to me."

Ino didn't reply, and as she usually was the one to resolve awkward situations instead of perpetuating them, the couple found themselves lapsing into silence.

Sai found himself curious, though, as he eyed up Ino's rounded body through the sheet in the stark morning light.

"Do you mind?" Sai eventually asked in hesitation as he pointed at her.

Ino turned her head to meet his gaze in surprise. "You want to see?"

Sai merely nodded, and Ino hesitated for a moment before she uncovered herself and let the sheet pool underneath her stomach. Sai unknowingly reached out to touch her in pure intrigue. He had run his hands over Ino's skin many a time, but it felt different now. Her skin was taut against a stomach that felt hard all around.

"It feels strange," Sai commented.

Ino snorted. "You don't know the half of it."

This was true, for Ino was the one carrying the baby.

"What does it feel like for you?" Sai asked, trying to gain an understanding.

Ino breathed heavily before describing in detail. She ended with, "It feels like there is a thing consuming you from your rib cage to the bottom of your bladder.

The astonished look is one that Ino wanted from Sai. "Yes. I know; look what you've put inside me."

Sai was unable to find the appropriate response, so he settled for the obvious. "I'm sorry," he stated in a monotone.

It was the lack of authenticity that made Ino laugh. "You don't mean it."

Shrugging, Sai merely told her. "Well, no, because I now know that this is what you want."

Ino appeared bemused. "You're still supposed to let me grouse about it, though."

Sai merely made a mental note before going back to examining Ino's upper body with his laser focus. "Have your breasts grown too?" he suddenly asked then, "They seem bigger to me."

It was then that Sai's hands reached out for her in a gesture to confirm what his eyes were seeing. However, Ino finally swatted Sai away and drew up the sheet once more.

Sai appeared bewildered. "It's not a complaint," He stated after her hurried response," Just an observation."

Ino's face was sheer red, but she pointed an accusing finger at Sai. "Of course you wouldn't complain, you lustful thing," she accused, "I'm starting to believe that you know full well what you're doing."

Sai tilted his head to the side, "Isn't that obvious?" he asked plainly. "I do know what I like and what I want."

Before Ino knew it, Sai was advancing dangerously close to her. She was quick to catch his shoulders to keep him at bay politely. "Still. I don't need a running commentary of how I've changed," Ino explained, "I already know."

Unperturbed, Sai's eyes became averted from her lips and came to rest on her stomach then. Ino breathed a sigh of internal relief at the change of course because although she had asked for Sai's unrestrained desire, it had been far more imposing than she had expected, and although exceptional at the time, it now had ramifications of a different kind of ache.

Sai reached out for her stomach then. "Fine, then I'll ask how our third member is doing?"

Suddenly Ino gasped and drew back sharply as her eyes flew open.

Sai snatched his hands away at the answering force while falling back onto his knees. "What's wrong? What happened? " he urgently asked, thinking that he had done something wrong.

Ino merely smiled broadly. "No, nothing. I just felt…kicking."

Sai looked blankly at her, but Ino just grabbed his hands and placed them back on her stomach. He felt the same strong force against them, and Sai couldn't breathe then. There was nothing he could say as his hands began shaking. There was indeed a living being inside of her.

Ino felt her eyes well up, and when Sai met her gaze, she explained. "This is the first time I've felt it this strong."

Sai looked at her in disbelief, "Really?"

Ino merely nodded before smiling gently. "Yes, before it was just a fluttering," Ino explained before laughing, "It must be you. A bit of male bonding, perhaps. I'm starting to think that it may be a boy."

Every time Sai believed that he was somehow closer to coming to terms with the idea that he was having a baby, a reaction like this would throw him back. It wasn't just an idea but a reality.

Sai had to swallow past the lump in his throat. "I can only try my best," he managed suddenly, "I will, though."

Ino's expression became wistful. "I know."

~ooOOoo~

A few days later

The living room was warm from the direct sunlight despite the blinds being angled to obstruct most of the light from entering. Sai had left the narrow top windows open to allow air to enter, mostly out of habit, as Ino liked it cooler these days.

Ino came in to see Sai lazily lying on the sofa. His long legs just about fit, and he had propped up his head with a pillow. He was amid a pile of books that were stacked all around him. Ino stared in puzzlement as it was the weekend, so he was not due at the academy. "What are you doing?" She asked, emerging from the kitchen with a glass of water.

Sai looked up from a thick hardback that he was flipping through. "I'm rediscovering the female anatomy."

Ino nearly spluttered out the water she was sipping, "Excuse me?" she coughed.

Sai was unperturbed as he flicked to the next page. "I'm just reading about the changes that occur during pregnancy," he explained, "It's fascinating, and I'm now no longer surprised that you were feeling so hormonal. "

This notion caused Ino to grimace because she didn't like to think about the changes that she was going through. Ino didn't want to be reminded that she was at the mercy of a baby who was controlling how she felt. "Why don't you instead read books about how to make your pregnant wife happy?" Ino suggested.

Sai remained neutral faced before he placed a finger on the page he was reading and closed the book. He was quick to lift two nearby books that he had left on the floor beside him. "I have seen to that already," he highlighted, "A recipe book and one for the positions to enjoy during pregnancy. It appears that the most fulfilling time to have sex is the third trimester."

Ino was accosted once again by Sai's blunt nature and heat radiated beneath her skin. "How can you say that with a straight face?" She accused while her cheeks became flush from the mere idea of Sai looking into improve such a thing for her.

Sai didn't have to think. "Well, those two things will make you happy, will they not?" he logically asked.

Ino had to fight back her need to cringe. "Y-Yes," she had to admit in a mumble finally. Although Ino knew it to be accurate, she wanted to avoid the mild shame at vocalising such things.

It was with that Sai nodded in affirmation before returning to the biology textbook. In the resulting silence and after some time when Ino recovered, her eyes began to wander. It appeared that Sai had been busy reading up on every book associated with pregnancy as Ino scanned through the titles. She could not help but be moved by Sai's genuine intent to be supportive. She felt an urge to tell him then but became distracted by a pile of books that had been separated from the rest. They had been tucked away but were peaking slightly out from behind the sofa leg near Sai's end.

"What are those about?" Ino asked suddenly then as she moved towards the stack.

When Sai looked up from the page he had been reading and followed Ino's eye line; he quickly sat up. Sai then abandoned the textbook as he used his hands to push the pile completely behind the sofa and underneath the coffee table.

"Nothing," Sai remarked in a transparent lie while now blocking Ino's advance with his outstretched arms.

Sai's evasiveness amplified Ino's curiosity. "What is it that your hiding?"

Sai remained steadfast, "It's nothing interesting."

Ino wouldn't let up as she tried to push past his arms. He hadn't even been this embarrassed about the sex book, "It must be, though," Ino added.

Realising then that Ino's stubborn nature would not let her let this go, Sai finally blurted out in defeat. "They're just about child physiology and things…" His voice trailed off, though, and as this happened, Ino stopped her attempts to get at his hidden books.

By now, Sai had averted his eyes, and it caused Ino to remember. Her expression immediately softened. "Oh…"

Sai waved away her reaction; he was deflecting. "As I said, it's nothing."

Ino smoothed down her clothes before attentively broaching the subject. "Books about fatherhood?" she hedged then in a closed question.

In the resulting silence, Ino took it as a 'yes'.

Ino was careful to approach Sai and took a seat next to him on the sofa. "I thought I told you not to worry about that," she gently explained.

Sai became slightly gruff at being caught out. "I know," he acknowledged then, "But I can't help it. I have to be prepared. If it's a boy, then it's said that they need a strong male influence to thrive."

Why did Ino feel a surge of heat at Sai's dedication? It was then that Ino firmly took hold of his chin and forced Sai's mouth towards her own. Their lips then met softly. The welcoming warmth was nothing new. Ino brought her free arm to loop lazily around his shoulders.

"Read, of course, but don't overdo it," Ino murmured in between kisses. "You don't need books to comfort you. I can. I'll repeat what I said before. You'll be a good father."

Sai found himself happily sighing against her lips. He would never get enough of such physical affection. Therefore, when they parted, he found himself strategising. "Now that you mention it. I'm feeling in need of comforting," Sai methodically replied while beginning to run his fingers through her loose hair.

Ino pulled back slightly then as she was taken aback by his suggestive remark. She watched as Sai dipped his gaze while lifting a hand to his mouth, trying to suppress a ghost of a smirk that was underlyingly deviant.

Once recovered from her shock, Ino shook her head in disbelief. "You truly are like every other man now."

Sai feigned obliviousness as he forced his expression to remain neutral when he met her eyes. "Shall I take that as a no?"

Ino shuffled closer as she quietly shook her head. The hot urge grew as she leaned in once more. "I don't believe so," she signed out in mock frustration.

Sai's eyes darkened then as he caught her by the waist and pulled her onto his lap. "Fine. Then I can show you what I have learned," he suggested wryly as he swiftly forgot about his quest for knowledge or his troubles for a moment.

Ino settled into Sai's recommended position and merely raised a suggestive eyebrow when she felt his reaction. Ino tightened her hold on the high back of the sofa to steady herself. "I'm starting to think that you put effort into this subject matter because it will benefit you," she commented. Although Ino was teasing Sai, she was quietly pleased and relieved that he still desired her in her current condition. Ino would never admit it to Sai, but she, for the most part, was always more willing if he wanted it as well.

Sai's gaze was as black as night, but there was also a spark there now. The ghost of a smirk returned. "What's wrong with that? It will benefit both of us, so the way I see it is that your increased need is a nice bonus for me."

Ino couldn't understand why she still experienced shock, but she did.

It was a fleeting thought, though, as Sai set forth on his task.

You are a wicked, wicked man- This was Ino's final thought before Sai consumed her.


A/N; more fluffiness for you all