Author's Note: Here is the next installment. I hope you all enjoy!
title: bundle, written for anonymous
prompt: does he know about the baby?
pairing: kakashi x sakura
genre: drama / romance
rating: t
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they belong to Masashi Kishimoto.
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"So, are you going to tell me what the problem is? Or are you going to have me keep guessing?"
Much like the other two previous attempts at cutting through the thick tension, Sakura's probe was met with silence.
Ino sat rigidly across from her, shoulders back, spine ramrod straight, both hands holding her cup of coffee in a white-knuckled grip. The position couldn't have been comfortable, but the rosette tried not to focus on such a little detail.
Something was off.
It wasn't unheard of for the duo to venture to lunch together, especially with Sakura's workload at the hospital tripling.
Two weeks prior, Tsunade decided an impromptu vacation to the Land of Tea was necessary, and with a note pinned to Shizune's apartment door, the Sannin spirited away in the middle of the night without so much as a backward glance.
Unsurprisingly, the retired Kage had yet to return.
Between double shifts and overseeing a new training program, Sakura barely had time for herself outside of her job, let alone her friends.
Naruto and Ino took the pinkette's increased absence personally, but luckily for the two pesky blonde's, it was hospital regulation for all staff to take a daily, hour-long lunch break. Most of Sakura's catching up was done in that small window of time; be it on additional work, gossip, or sleep.
Traditionally, Ino demanded that they meet during her time off at least twice a week. During most of those instances, the women would share a few stories over some refreshments, much like they had planned to do today.
However, today was…different.
Not only did Ino arrive ten minutes late to their scheduled outing, but she also looked far too distracted for Sakura's liking. The bubbliness that the rosette had become accustomed to over the years was deadened, leaving a withdrawn and antisocial blonde, who hadn't said much beyond their initial greeting and ordering their meal with the waitress; despite Sakura's many, many attempts.
She didn't need an Inuzuka's keen sense of smell, or to be a genius of Shikamaru's stature, to know that Ino was on edge, painfully so. The apprehension rolled off Ino in waves, making the Yamanaka heiress practically vibrate with repressed anxiety. For someone who rivaled Naruto in brashness, the blue-eyed woman was uncharacteristically subdued.
"Did Chouji not share his snacks with you?"
"Ten-Ten finally kicked your ass in a spar, didn't she?"
"I got it! Someone finally called you ugly!"
Sakura's best efforts of trying to probe for the cause of the issue were met with noncommittal hums and annoyed grunts. At the end of her twenty questions, she could practically feel the frost from Ino's cold shoulder.
After that, trying to grab her best friend's attention proved to be futile. Cobalt hues were more intrigued with studying the décor of the restaurant than looking in Sakura's direction, and every inquisitive comment only seemed to increase Ino's mounting ire.
So, the emerald-eyed woman did the only thing she could do, bask in the awkward silence and enjoy her meal as peacefully as she could muster.
Somewhere between finishing off a plate of Yaki Udon and ordering another glass of iced tea, the blonde's mood shifted again.
Now, instead of evading glancing at Sakura, the pinkette was all Ino could stare at. It wasn't casual regard either; it was blatant glowering. It caused the hair on the back of Sakura's neck to stand in warning.
But…anger was okay; Sakura could deal with anger. At least it was something.
Placating an irate Ino had become second nature after all of their time together, but Sakura still didn't understand what the reason behind said fury was.
As far as she was aware, things in her best friend's life were copasetic; family relations were still stable, the flower shop was as lively as ever, and Ino's relationship with the ever emotionally stunted Sai had been progressing by leaps and bounds.
"Are you going to keep ignoring me?" Sakura finally demanded. "The theatrics are getting on my nerves."
Azure eyes narrowed marginally, but the unpleasant silence continued, both women merely staring at one another. When it seemed that Ino wasn't going to answer her inquiry, Sakura sighed before lifting her glass of cold tea from the table, taking a small sip.
Only when her cup clattered back onto the tabletop did Ino finally clear her throat.
"I find myself in a peculiar predicament, Forehead," The blonde stated in a slow, calm tone. The use of her nickname was a positive, but the hesitance in Ino's tone made Sakura wary. "For the first time in years, I find myself extremely mad at you."
Taken aback by the spontaneity and absurdity of the statement, green eyes just blinked, once, then twice, as Sakura tried to wrap her mind around the explanation that she had just been given.
Her surprised stupor didn't last long and, now, it was Sakura's turn to glare.
"You don't say," Sakura snipped testily, brow creased in exasperated curiosity. She paused to take another sip of her drink before she ventured, "And what, pray tell, are you mad at me for?"
It seemed the semi-impassive tone of her question broke the dam. Ino abruptly stood in a flurry of sun-colored hair, the movement catching Sakura off guard.
With hands clenched into fists at her sides, Ino's face contorted into a rather impressive frown before she screeched, "I'm mad because you're pregnant and you told Sai before you told me!"
The unexpectedness of the screeched exclamation was like a swift blow to the gut and Sakura's chest constricted with bubbling anxiety, disquiet thrumming throughout her petite body.
Ino was looking at her, impatiently expectant, and the pinkette's immediate reaction was to shake her head, a jerky, graceless moment that had her bubblegum pink hair sashaying wildly as she tried to deny, deny, deny.
"I didn't...I don't…," Sakura tried to explain, but the words seemed to fail her. Before she could say anything that she would later regret, Sakura shut her mouth with an audible click of her teeth.
The two friends continued their standoff; Ino's ferocity unrelentingly baring down on a suddenly squeamish Sakura.
To make matters worse, what was once a busy and bustling dining room had now become ominously still. A quick perusal out of the corner of Sakura's eye confirmed that the entire restaurant was indeed, looking at their table. Ino seemed oblivious to the garnered attention, but Sakura couldn't overlook the prying scrutiny.
Well, the cat's out of the bag now, isn't it?
When the hushed murmurs started to become apparent, Sakura broke from her pensive trance.
Standing, she dug through her pocket, retrieving a few bills. Upon a double check that it was enough to pay for both of their meals, Sakura slapped the money on the table before sidestepping out of the booth.
"Come with me Ino," The emerald-eyed doctor muttered, not bothering to look back as she hastily crossed the room so that she could make her exit.
As the chime of the bell above the door signaled their departure, Sakura allowed herself to relax marginally. It wasn't long before she felt Ino behind her, sensed the animosity prickle against her bare shoulders.
Sakura beelined for a side street – which turned out to be more of an alley – a few paces from the diner's front door.
Finally tucked away from prying eyes, Sakura halted, released a slow, cleansing breath before gradually shifting, facing Ino once again.
Unfortunately for Sakura, said best friend seemed even more irritated than earlier. She supposed that if the roles were reversed and her best friend was being unusually secretive in a dark alleyway, Sakura would be in a foul mood too.
Squaring her shoulders, the coral-haired woman started with, "I didn't tell Sai. He found the box for the home pregnancy test last week during the team dinner at my apartment."
"So, you are pregnant!" Ino cried. "How could you not tell me Forehead!?"
"I didn't want to tell anyone, Pig!" Sakura snapped, teeth bared.
It seemed that the entire situation caught up with her then and her shoulder's slumped, defeated. Huffing quietly, the cherry-haired female screwed her eyes shut, bringing both hands up to her forehead so that her pointer fingers could idly rub circles along her temples.
"I didn't want to tell anyone," Sakura mumbled dejectedly. "I wanted to wait until after my appointment with Tsunade when she got back. Naruto and Sai found out by accident. I would have loved to keep them in the dark about it, but it was kind of hard to deny the bright pink box sitting on my bathroom counter."
Ino's answer was not what Sakura had been expecting. "So, Naruto knows too!? This is insanity! How could I be the last one to find out!?"
"That's really beside the point, Ino!" Sakura grouched, bottle-green eyes opening to shoot the blonde a half-hearted glare.
Ino crossed her arms, tilting her nose up into the air with a delicate sniff. It was silent for a few moments, neither woman moving from their position. Eventually, Sakura's hands dropped back to her sides, and Ino's posture became less stiff, more casually composed, though she didn't unravel her arms.
"How far are you along, Forehead?" The Yamanaka heiress inquired softly.
"Two months, give or take a week," Sakura replied, her tone placid.
"Does h-," Her best friend started but cut herself off in a rush. Sakura could tell that Ino was struggling with not making, whatever her question was, sound rude.
She knew what was coming.
Honestly, Sakura had expected it to be the first question Ino asked once she found out about the pregnancy.
"Does Kakashi know?" The blonde queried after only another second's hesitation.
Sakura's reply was an unladylike snort and a wistful curl of her lips. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure."
And that was the truth.
It was a week after Kakashi left on his most recent mission that Sakura started to notice some of the symptoms which came with the early stages of pregnancy. At first, it was the fatigue and the dizziness, but that could have been chalked up to her increased hours at the hospital. During the following week, however, she suffered from a few bouts of cramps. It was only when she woke up one morning and promptly expelled her dinner from the night before, did Sakura finally realize something was terribly wrong.
One trip to the pharmacy, a home pregnancy test and a personal medical scan later, Sakura had confirmed that she was in fact, expecting.
She didn't know how to feel when she received the news. Joy tingled down her spine initially, but it gave way under a wave of panic.
How would Kakashi take the news? Would he be happy? Upset? They never really discussed something like this happening.
They had been seeing each other since the Fourth Shinobi War, living with one another for the last six months, and everything just seemed to be going right.
They never discussed marriage, never discussed kids.
It wasn't that Sakura didn't want a family of her own, or to take on her boyfriend's last name. It was just that, at this moment, she felt like she wasn't ready.
Kakashi was still an active shinobi, despite his increasing age, and also a principal advisor to Naruto. Sakura was working far too many hours at the hospital, and it was only bound to get worse when Tsunade finally retired.
Though she had Shizune to assist in the transition, there would be many bumps in the road, hiccups that occurred during all changes of that magnitude, and every one of them would occupy a significant amount of her free time.
How were they supposed to raise a child when they barely had enough time to see one another?
Well, they were about to find out.
"I haven't written to him to tell him of the news, and if my threats were any good, neither of the boys would have sent word to him either. But…" Sakura said, running her left hand over her face. "Now I understand why Pakkun was constantly snuffling around me before they left. He kept on giving me this odd, knowing look. He knew, and I wouldn't be surprised if he informed Kakashi of his suspicions."
"Damn," Ino griped. "Even Hatake knows before I do."
"Well, he is the father of my baby. I think he deserved to know before anyone else. Seriously, Ino you're insatiable." Though Sakura's words were barbed, there was no real fire behind them.
The insult made Ino grin. "It's one of my special skills," The blonde chirped, causing viridian eyes to roll skyward. "You should get back to the hospital. I'll come over later, after your shift. We can discuss this entire situation in more detail, especially how you're going to tell that man of yours that you're knocked up."
Sakura released a bark of laughter, but before she could show the fair-haired woman any gratitude, Ino continued, "And you better bet your ass that I'm going to be named mini-Hatake's godmother. It's the least you can do since I was the last to be informed of his or her conception."
"Ino!"
-o-
The weight of the tiny box smacking against his leg was an uncomfortable, solid reminder, and he pushed his left hand into his pocket so that he could fiddle with the contents.
"Will you stop playing with that? You're gonna lose it Boss," Came Pakkun's gruff command. The pug was running in tandem with him, jumping from branch to branch with a relative, practiced ease.
"Maa," Kakashi rebuffed. "I won't lose it. I consider this to be as important as Icha Icha."
The ninken cast him a dubious, sidelong glance but said nothing else. They were making their way back to Konoha after being gone for a month. Pakkun was looking forward to Sakura welcoming him home by giving him a bath with their favorite strawberry scented shampoo.
The duo traveled for a few more moments in silence before the Copy-nin finally ventured, "Do you think she's going to be surprised?"
The pug thought back to the glittering, princess-cut engagement ring his master purchased in a village just outside the Land of Rivers. The stone set in the middle was an emerald, a few shades darker than Sakura's eyes.
"She'll love it," Pakkun affirmed with a curt nod. Then remembering something, the ninken smirked, before cryptically adding, "But I think the one who's going to be surprised is you, Boss."
Thank you for reading!
word count: 2,435
last edited on: 05/01/18
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