a/n: Hurray for my newly revised outline.


Resolution

It took them almost an hour to get to Ame hospital which was located in the town next to Konoha. That and traffic. Sasuke would always glance at his rear-view mirror to make sure that Sakura's car was there. He felt the urge to call her during those moments of delay on the road, but he figured she would probably still be as passive. Besides, he wasn't really good with small talks. It was a skill he had yet to learn. Sakura would always be the first to chatter with that sunshine personality of hers, and he would just follow the lead. It was different now though because she was the one clamming up.

Once he got out of the car, he immediately waylaid her on her way to the hospital's entrance. He was careful not to touch her though because he couldn't deny it didn't hurt every time she repelled him at every turn.

Sakura halted the moment she heard her name. She was almost at her fraying wits' end on how to deflect his attempts at reconciliation. No, scratch that. She recognized his conciliatory gestures, and she would stop at that. This time she would be better at maintaining boundaries, at guarding herself from indiscretions like looking into his eyes and wishing that things between them weren't as complicated.

"Yes?" she asked rather impatiently, frustrated at herself for even stopping in the first place.

He noted how she was careful enough not to level her eyes with his, and he sighed heavily.

"Nothing. I just wanted to go inside together."

A chilling breeze quickly swept by, and she then remembered her cardigan which she forgot to pick off the passenger seat in her haste to enter the hospital before Sasuke could go to her. As it turned out, her efforts had gone to waste. She rubbed her arms unconsciously, making sure to wear thicker clothes next time rather than a simple chiffon dress.

But before she could register what was happening, a heap of comfortable warmth had already landed on her shoulders, protecting her bare arms from another quick gust of wind that rolled by. Sasuke then started to walk ahead, and she could only follow. She wanted to be stubborn and hand it back to him, but it wouldn't do her baby good if she did catch a cold because of her carelessness, not to mention that she was a doctor herself.

But the moment she had stepped into the confines of the hospital, she took off his jacket and gave it to him, muttering a soft thank you before walking on. He smiled to himself before following her to the information desk.

They took the elevator to the third floor, and Sakura couldn't be more thankful that there were other people inside. She wouldn't know what to do if she were to spend another awkward moment with him. He might've probably had brought up the preposterous idea of marriage again, and she might've had lash out at him again which she wanted to avoid doing because for heaven's sake, they weren't even a proper couple to have a considerable amount of quarreling in the first place. If anybody were to see them, they would be a pathetic spectacle, and she could almost hear her mom scolding her, telling her "I told you so."

And as the elevator dinged, she briefly thought about her mother's suggestion back then. Living separately might have been the better decision all along.

Before she could further pursue that line of thinking though, Sasuke had already stepped out, looking back at her, a slight frown on his face which she dismissed as she also headed out and walked to the direction of the room. In less than a minute, Sasuke was already knocking at the door. When no one seemed to be responding, he turned the knob and pushed it ajar. The first thing Sakura saw was Kakashi nodding off on his seat, and as Sasuke made space for her inside, she also got to see a beautiful lady on the bed, cradling a child to her bosom.

She couldn't help but to gently squeal as she approached them, wearing the most dazzling smile she'd ever had in the past couple of days. Their steps might have had alerted the sleeping man as he slowly strained to open his eyes and immediately shook the sleep off his eyes before nodding at them, his eyes smiling.

"Congratulations, Kakashi-san and to you, Madame," Sakura offered good-naturedly, marveling at the wondrous couple before her and the blessing that they had been graced with.

The woman with long chestnut brown tresses simply smiled back at her.

"Call me Mei. And you are?"

"Haruno Sakura. I'm a pedia at Konoha Hospital."

The older woman had a sudden twinkle in her eyes as she glanced quickly at her husband and back at Sakura.

"Then perhaps you can be the pedia of my little Kouji then," she suggested before cooing at her son.

"Absolutely!" Sakura exclaimed without a beat, clasping her hands together.

Sasuke hid a smile upon seeing the bliss on Sakura's face. His eyes then automatically shifted to her bump and couldn't wait to see how happier she could get if it were their child that she'd be seeing soon. And he couldn't wait as well.

"Congratulations to you, too. How far along are you? Four . . . five months, I assume?" Mei asked, waiting for her answer expectantly.

Sakura blanched and her jovial disposition was immediately put out. Sasuke scrabbled around for ways to save her out of this embarrassing situation. He knew the kind of questioning that would soon follow, and he couldn't put her through that again. He'd take the fall for her this time.

Sakura pressed her lips together, trying to recover from such a hard-hitting question. She fumbled for words to say, hovering between denying and spilling out the truth. But she was talking to a mother who probably knew her body better than herself.

To Sasuke's surprise, Kakashi bestowed him a glinting gaze before chuckling amusedly.

"Don't worry, you two. I've known it all along. It was hard not to notice when I dealt with this pregnant woman for nine months. I've developed that kind of radar," he turned to Sakura, "You'd always stroke your stomach as if on instinct. A mother's instinct."

Although Kakashi ended on a very positive note of approval, Sakura still felt like drowning in the dumps because this topic had been breached once more, and she suddenly wished she could charter a plane and fly off to a place where she could live her life peacefully with her child.

If she put her mind into it enough, she figured she might do just that in the near future.

She then felt a comforting presence behind her as Sasuke wrapped her arm around her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

After seconds of mounting tension, Mei's voice sliced into the thick atmosphere.

"Congrats, Sasuke. You were just a kid back then! Your br – me and Kakashi are so proud of you, kiddo!" she finished somewhat nervously, chortling.

It was true that Sasuke, Kakashi, and Mei shared a long history. In fact, they really go a long way back because they were friends with his brother. He knew what she was supposed to say. Itachi might've been proud. He wanted to scoff at the idea but decided he really didn't care. It was outside of his concern.

His priority right now was Sakura.

"I was waiting for you to make an announcement. Would've called for a celebration," Kakashi gleefully remarked.

Sakura bristled at this and took a step away from Sasuke.

"But we're not even a couple."

The words were already out before she could stop herself, but she hoped that her passively snarky remark would get her message across. This is not a joke. Not a celebration. We're not okay and we don't have the relationship that you have.

Both Mei and Kakashi sent Sasuke a worried, questioning look. A soft sigh fell from his lips. He really needed to straighten things out as deftly and as painlessly for Sakura as he could.

"I haven't properly done the proposal but we're – "

Sakura then interrupted. "I'm sorry Mei-san, Kakashi-san. I need to go and get something from the hospital. Congratulations, again! I'm really happy for you and please contact me if little Kouji needs my assistance!" she chirped and bowed before hastily making her way to the door. In a flash, she was gone.

Cold water seemed to have been poured over his head as Sasuke stayed rooted to his place, hopelessly gathering his wits.

Right away, the two adults knew something was wrong even though Sakura had acted her way out of the scene.

"Go after her, Sasuke!" Kakashi ordered in a concerned, brotherly tone.

"Kiddo, you have lots of explaining to do next time. But you seriously have to move your ass and – "

His system kicked into overdrive as he turned and started taking large strides to the door before launching himself into full speed after her. The last words he'd heard from the brunette was along the lines of kissing her senseless.

Sakura's top priority right now was to get into her car as quickly and as carefully as she could and sped off. She knew that she was being completely irrational, her emotions running high over the littlest, nonsensical things. But she was upset, and she couldn't help but be envious about the older couple and be angry at Sasuke for persisting to keep up appearances, spewing out lies as if they were delightful truths.

She was furiously swiping at her tears when she felt herself being yanked around and landing onto someone's chest. She didn't need to look up to know who he was. She knew this warmth by heart, and even when she wanted to pull away, she was too frazzled to even struggle so she did the only thing she could do that moment, to cry and tell him how much she hated him over and over.

He felt a smarting pain inside whenever she'd say those distasteful three words, but he needed to make himself believe that she didn't mean it, that she'd be more welcoming of his feelings next time when his sins had been blown over by his more sincere affections this time. He buried his nose into her hair and mumbled in a pinched voice the only thing he could offer for now. I'm sorry.

The leaves around them was rustled sharply by the biting transit of the evening wind, and he held her closer as her sobs died down. A few more moments later, and she finally peeled herself off him, deprived of the strength to look at him.

"Sakura . . ." he began.

A ring then reverberated through the air, and she fished out her phone from her bag, thankful yet at the same time confused at the name appearing on her screen. But she answered it nevertheless, making sure to keep her tone levelled and calm.

"Mom?"

Sasuke could only see her eyes widening for a moment before her expression softened, giving affirmatives to the woman on the other end of the line.

Once the call was done, she looked at him albeit wavering.

"My mom just . . . got back. She wants to see me," she informed him as quickly as she could before she turned and walked away just as fast.

He jogged after her.

"I want to meet your mother."

He felt guilt clawing away at him when he realized that he'd never really bothered to ask her about her family. He really couldn't blame her for thinking they were never a couple to begin with because in all honesty, it was selfish of him to think that he was the only one who had an undesirable life. He had never made an effort to get to know her better, to know the Sakura before she had associated herself with the mess that he was.

"There's no need for you to do that, Sasuke," she replied snappishly.

"Sakura, I plan to tell – "

"No. Stay out of this. Don't make it all the more complicated for us," she said firmly before turning once more and dashing to her car.

Sasuke no longer persisted because talking to Sakura about this was a lost cause. Instead, he took out his phone and called someone whom he knew could help him.

Before climbing out of her car, she made sure that her eyes weren't puffy. She applied a bit of makeup since she also needed to conceal the lines of exhaustion on her face. She had messaged Ino about her meeting with her mom and was simply told to calm down, but that was easier said than done, of course. She then took in deep, calming breaths to pacify her skittering thoughts and rumbling feelings about a certain someone. She'd been too careless a while ago. Half her walls were down, and he took advantage of it, and she let him.

The hotel where her mom had chosen to arrange her accommodation was one of the finest in their region so she had expected every corner to be shining with glamor and elegance. Even the staff were trained in speaking different tongues, and as soon as she spoke in her native, one of them assisted her to the concierge. The only feature of the five-star hotel she didn't particularly like was the strong fragrance assaulting her senses. It was a strange combination of flower scents, and she felt a bit suffocated as she forced down the lump in her throat. Luckily, the lady dressed like a sailor had finally put in a call to her mom, and she was now on her way to her mother's room.

A light gasp escaped her upon seeing her mom right outside the elevator. She was then promptly engulfed in a hug to which she belatedly respond out of shock.

"I missed you, darling."

Sakura noticed wetness at the corner of her mother's eyes, and she just nodded, reining in her emotions.

"I missed you, too, mom."

They might've had a bleak past, and they might've not had a friendly parting the last time they saw each other, but she wouldn't let those negative emotions to hold sway over her. Mebuki would always be her mom, the only family she had been left with, and even though she couldn't exactly voice out to her mom about her piteous situation, it still felt infinitely reassuring to be reminded that she wasn't exactly left to her own devices when dealing with such complicated matters.

She might've pushed her mother away before, quite harshly and uncalled-for, and she might've refused her help blatantly because of her own misguided stubbornness but something had changed now. She was beginning to realize that if there was someone who could fully understand her situation, it would be her mom.

Mebuki then held her at arm's length as she began to scrutinize her face and figure.

"You look pale. Are you sleeping well? How's the pregnancy going? Are you frequenting your OB – "

Sakura simply chuckled. "Mom, I'm okay. I eat a lot and get plenty of rest. I'll be visiting my OB soon. Stop worrying."

However, it seemed like Mebuki didn't take well to this rather dismissive attitude of her daughter.

"Sakura, I hope you understand that you're in a very delicate position right now, and every change in your body matters. You can't simply write that off as nothing of importance," she lectured in a light scolding tone. She then shook her head before continuing, "Tell me, is that guy taking care of you and my grandchild? Or am I right in assuming that he's really nothing but an irres – "

"Mom," Sakura sighed, "I'm sorry, okay? I'm a bit tired, but I assure you I'm more than aware of my body and I'll never be that reckless. I won't do anything that will harm my child. Can we just go to your room now? I want to rest for a bit since that was a long drive I had," she ended softly, a coaxing smile on her face.

"Fine, fine. Let's go there now so I can start my interrogation," Mebuki said rather hastily.

"Mom!"

"We have a lot to talk about, darling. Indulge me."

It was Mebuki's turn to chuckle at her reaction. As she followed her mother to her room, she could only hope that if worse comes to worst, she could lie through her teeth.

Inside his car, he waited for the two women to emerge out of the building. It was all thanks to Sakura's best friend who texted him right away about the location. As expected, they didn't go unnoticed despite the streams of people going in and out of the hotel. Sakura's pink hair would always lead him back to her, after all. He saw her bidding goodbye to an older woman who had the same shade of hair despite being longer. When he was sure that Sakura's car was out of sight, speeding off towards the other direction, he immediately went out and rushed after the woman. His footfalls might have alerted her because she had turned to him before he could even greet her.

"I'm Uchiha Sasuke," he offered politely.

Mebuki gave a courteous nod and at the same time bestowed him a guarded look.

"I'm your daughter's – "

She seemed to quickly catch on as she gave him a pointed look, her brows arching. "Husband? Lover? Fling? Or someone who just happened to knock her up for the sake of it?" she laughed but with spite.

Sasuke kept his cool. There was no other way.

"I'm hoping we can talk over this, Haruno-san."

"I thought you were busy and couldn't – "

"No. She didn't want me to meet you because she thought I couldn't."

Her brows further scrunched up as he stood there like a rock under scrutiny.

"Fine."

He followed the older lady into the hotel restaurant annexed to the lobby although the both of them only ordered for a cup of coffee.

After a single sip from her own, Mebuki relaxed into her seat and sent him a weighty look.

"You may begin stating your case, Uchiha-San."

Having heard such an elaborate phrasing, he surmised that Sakura's mother was a woman to be reckoned with, which was all the more reason why he couldn't mess this up.

"I intend to marry your daughter," he said as firmly as he could, matching the unwavering look she was giving him.

Mebuki, in turn, sported a chuckle in disbelief. "Not surprising. Of course, you also want legal custody of the child after you leave her."

He was rather taken aback by such gross accusation. But he reminded himself that as a mother, the woman in front him had every right to be cruel at him.

"No, that was never my intention."

"Lying has always been easy, but it's unfortunate that not all people can get away with that."

He understood. He couldn't possibly uphold his feelings, genuine as they might be, as sacrosanct because he had done nothing of significance yet to prove it to Sakura, much less to her mother. He hadn't even thought about meeting her until a couple of hours ago.

"I love your daughter. And I plan to work on my intentions," he pressed on because it was nothing less than the truth. It had taken him a while to get here at this point, and there was no turning back.

Mebuki could only laugh into her hands, seemingly entertained by his performance.

"That was the same thing her father told me when I was pregnant with her and he left us after."

She then shot him a look, daring him to continue spewing out his list of rehearsed absurdities. Sasuke remained calm although nonetheless shocked by this piece of information. He hated himself for not knowing.

"I've told her before to leave you but she'd insisted otherwise. She grew up without a father, and I understand why she wouldn't want her child to experience the same. She has always wanted to have a complete family, something that is no longer possible."

A forlorn look graced her features, and his heart beat brokenly at the thought of Sakura suffering when she was a child, and flashes of her tears raced across his mind, reminding him repeatedly that he was the primary cause of it all.

Mebuki's voice then became laced with venom as she continued. "I understand my daughter's wishes although I cannot fathom why she has chosen to be with someone who can't take responsibility for what he's done."

Sasuke could only look down at his still-untouched coffee, embarrassment swallowing him whole.

"I have made many mistakes."

"And for which you deserve punishment."

He looked back at her with resolve shining in his eyes

"I've hurt her enough. But I'm ready to atone for it."

For some reason, her expression cleared, and he didn't know if it meant that she was finally believing in him.

"By marrying her?" she crinkled an amused smile.

He nodded. "I want to stay by her side . . . if only she'll allow me."

"Doesn't she know about your intention?"

"She does. But she doesn't believe me as well. I've pushed her away too far," he said with a rueful smile.

"Forgiveness is not something you just ask for. Work hard for it and once you earn it and she says yes, then I don't think I'm in any position to intervene. But I won't let you off the hook if you hurt my daughter once more. You understand?"

Mebuki was already out of her seat when he had recovered from her unexpected response.

"Thank you, Haruno-san. I promise to never hurt her again."

She gave him a kind smile which bore a semblance to one of those old smiles Sakura would usually give him. "Prove to her that you're not like her father."

Sakura turned on the TV to fill the room with noise and to distract her. But her mind could only go back to the conversation she had had with her mother. Mebuki was asking her about Sasuke, but she'd always find ways to dodge the questions until her mother said something that hit too close to home.

"It's intriguing that you avoid talking about him and yet you can't seem to leave him. You love him too much, darling. And I fear for your heart because I was just like you ages ago."

She wanted to weep on her and asked her what to do about it because the pain she was feeling was commensurate to the love she had for him. She wanted to ask if leaving was the right thing to do after all.

Mebuki then pulled her into a hug and shifted to another topic. She insisted on accompanying her to her checkup, but Sakura assured her that she'd be fine since she'd be with him (she never mentioned his name) anyway.

The topic about her and Sasuke was never brought up again, and the last thing they talked about before she left was to go shopping for her child after the checkup which immensely caused her relief and gave her something to look forward to in the coming days despite the dreaded moment with Sasuke.

Sakura was thinking about the possible consequences for her child if she decided to go against her original plan of staying when she heard the creaking of the door. She pretended to be absorbed in watching, hoping Sasuke would just proceed to his room without a thought about her.

But little did she know that this Sasuke could no longer possibly live without thinking about her every second of his life.

Sasuke felt an overwhelming sense of relief that Sakura was here, that she still came home to him or at least that she still considered this her home despite what had transpired early on.

"Sakura, have you eaten yet?"

"I ordered a takeout," she replied impassively, not taking her eyes off the screen.

When he saw that she wasn't even sparing him a glance, he took the initiative to sit beside her, and for a moment, he had to hold himself back from reaching for her hand and enclosing it within his.

He felt hollowed out by her unusual silence, and there was no way he could ever get used to this. He then quickly thought of something to talk about.

"Sakura, I'm . . . thinking if you could teach me sometime to . . . fry some eggs . . ."

For the first time in his life, he was feeling awkwardly stupid, and it didn't help that she was still as cold as ever.

Sakura could read through his attempt at bringing up the topic she was trying to run from, so with a tired sigh, she turned off the TV with the remote and rose from her seat.

"I'm serious."

Sakura looked at him rather stonily.

"And if you could also cook some dango . . ." he averted his eyes for a moment, "My mom used to . . ."

Sakura could only stare at him, still comprehending the fact that he had just requested for something which had so much sentimental value for him. Sasuke had never let her see him at his weakest. The last time she did, he had cruelly pushed her away.

But despite her supposed anger at him, her heart thawed at his words. She hated it, seeing him vulnerable like this because she wanted to know and share his sufferings but each attempt she had made in the past had been ungratefully shoved back to her, and she didn't think she could take even an ounce more of that pain.

Sasuke didn't want her to think that he was putting on a show because he wouldn't toy with her feelings like that. He was showing a genuine side of him, and he could only wish she'd accept it.

After a few more beats of silence, she finally nodded at him, a warm smile adorning her face.

"I will."

Sasuke could no longer hold it in so he reached for her hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a light kiss on her fingers.

"Thank you, Sakura."

She inhaled sharply before taking back her hand and leaving him quickly. She'd made a resolution.

She needed to leave.

...

Tbc.

(Please keep an eye out for a new SasuSaku fic that I'll be working on. Thanks so much for the support. I'm hoping I can finish this by June.)