Another chapter for this new baby. Not much of an author's note but hey, who cares about these things anyway, right?

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

Chapter Two

"Ryu, sweetheart, don't put that in your mouth," I sighed, quickly snatching away the remote he was currently chewing on. With a whine, he reached out to take it back but I quickly shifted away, putting it on top of my dresser.

With a huff and puff of his cheeks, he slid backwards off of my bed. Walking over to my dresser, he jumped up, fingers scratching at the top to grasp a hold of the remote. "Ryu I said no," I scolded, pulling him off the dresser.

The small sniff instantly made my heart tighten. I had to be firm with him; I couldn't have him thinking he could run me and get away with whatever he wanted. Not like his no-good father. I watched with hard eyes as he plopped onto my floor, eyes watering as he rubbed them.

"Mommy," he choked out and when I shook my head no again, he burst into a fit of tears. Rolling my eyes, I moved to the kitchen to finish packing his lunch. I didn't bother to worry about leaving him alone considering he always sulked and followed me about when he was upset.

Sure enough he made his way around the corner, thumb in his mouth as he looked up at me. Blinking, I turned around to the fridge. Grabbing the jug of apple juice, I grabbed his cup, filling it halfway before handing it to him. "Will you go sit on the couch and wait till Mommy is done?"

He nodded, quickly grabbing the cup and running over to the couch. Climbing up, he sat down, pressing his back into the couch as he slowly sipped his juice and watched cartoons. Sighing at having a moment of peace, I paused when I heard the doorbell ring.

Walking over, I opened the door, smiling and stepping to the side as Sakura slipped past me. "You're a bit early," I told her, "I didn't even finish packing Ryu's lunch yet." Shrugging, she flashed me a grin as she moved to sit on the couch, "I went for a run this morning. Figured I might as well be a bit productive with my day off."

"Ah, so that would explain why you're sweating all over my couch," I teased as I returned to the kitchen to finish preparing my toddler's lunch. "Sorry?" Sakura chuckled with a shrug before turning to face Ryu, "Hey little dude. How are you?"

I rolled my eyes at the small whine that slipped past his lips as he continued to watch cartoons. "Ryu…say hello," I reprimanded him but he only whined further, hopping down from the couch to run into the kitchen. A small noise passed his lips as he clung to my pants leg tightly.

"Still doesn't like me huh," Sakura chuckled and I could tell that she wasn't at all upset. I shook my head, hoisting up Ryu to sit him on the counter as I brushed away his tears. "It's not you, he just needs time to get comfortable," I informed her with a reassuring smile.

"Well hold on, let me see," she said, fumbling around in her pocket before pulling out her phone. Moving to stand in front of Ryu, she poked around at her screen, "Hey buddy, you like games?" I watched as Ryu continued to rub his eyes before slowly pulling his hands away.

Blinking away the tears, he nodded slowly. "I've got a game on my phone you can play," Sakura started, pulling the phone away when he made an attempt to grab it. "But first…you gotta come here," she finished with a grin. He looked at me with nervous eyes, unsure if he should trust her.

With a smile, I ruffled his hair, "Go on. She's nice."

Nervously, he outstretched his arms for Sakura to hold him. With a grin, she lifted him gently into her arms, resting him on her left arm as she handed him the phone. Squealing with excitement, he typed away at Sakura's phone, no longer intimidated by her presence.

"You know you're never gonna get that back right?" I told her with a smile as I packed his food into his batman lunch box. I swear the kid was obsessed with that man. Bat? Oh whatever. I heard Sakura chuckle beside me, "Yeah but it was worth it."

I slipped out of the kitchen and into Ryu's room. Grabbing his bag, I placed one of his smaller toys inside, along with his lunchbox and an extra pair of clothes just in case. Grabbing his tennis shoes, I exited his room, dropping the bag on the couch as I held out his shoes to Sakura, "Do you mind? I just need to grab my stuff and then we'll head out."

"Yeah sure, go on," she nodded, placing Ryu down on the counter as she carefully slipped his shoes onto his feet. For once, he was actually being cooperative, probably due to the fact that he was finding enough entertainment in Sakura's phone.

Quickly heading back to my room, I turned off the TV. I did a once over of myself in the mirror, deciding to pull my hair back into a low ponytail, leaving out a few strands to hang about my face. Snatching my purse and work jacket, I made sure I had everything before slipping out of my room.

Returning to the living room, I looked around, expecting to see Ryu still sitting on the counter. Slightly worried, I turned around, relaxing instantly as I saw Sakura sitting down on the couch with him in her lap. He was still entranced by her phone and had even grown comfortable enough to lean completely against Sakura.

"That's the fastest I've seen him warm up to anyone before," I admitted earnestly, adjusting my purse on my shoulder. She seemed happy enough with the information considering her lips quirked up into a smile the second I said it.

"Really? Looks like I got the official stamp of approval from the man himself," she teased, hoisting him up as we slipped out of my front door. Arching my brow as I looked my door, I followed her downstairs to her car, "Approval…for what?"

Faltering in her steps, she quickly flashed me a grin before shaking her head, "Ah nothing, just making a joke." I opened the door for her as she sat Ryu down inside. She stepped back, allowing me to strap him in before opening my door and closing it once I was inside.

Just like yesterday, we made our way to the daycare. Making a bit of light conversation helped to pass the time until we arrived. To my surprise, Ryu actually waved bye to Sakura, after I practically ripped her phone from his hands and he stopped crying anyways.

We were back in her car now, heading to my job in a peaceful silence. Well, before Sakura decided to ask me about my day at work yesterday. It was relatively easy I suppose. Considering I've been working there for about three years. I didn't live that exciting of a life, not at work at least.

We grew silent once more and with the silence, I allowed my eyes to freely roam the interior of Sakura's car. It was surprisingly clean, not that I believed her to be filthy; it was just cleaner than most cars tended to be. It had a fruity smell and after searching a bit longer, I discovered that the strawberry scent came from a car freshener hanging from the rearview mirror.

Continuing to glance around her car, my eyes came to rest on a picture hanging on to the sun visor. It was a picture of Sakura. She had a huge smile plastered on her face with her arms thrown around a young man. He had dark colored hair that almost looked like a midnight blue and his eyes were similarly just as dark as his hair.

A smile, though not quite as broad as Sakura's, pulled at his lips. His arms were carefully hooked under her thighs to keep her from falling off his back. "Is that your boyfriend," I asked with a smile. Her eyes quickly switched over to my own, slightly wider than usual, "Wait what?"

I gestured to the picture hanging above her head, eyebrow raising slightly. As if she had never seen it before, she studied it, scrutinizing it before a grin worked its way onto her face. "Oh him? God no!" She chuckled, shaking her head as we pulled to a stop light.

I frowned, not finding anything humorous about my question. I think she figured that I was waiting for an explanation as she sighed, rubbing the back of her neck as we continued to my job. "Sorry, didn't mean to laugh. No one has ever asked me that before so I thought it was funny but you don't really know me so I can't blame you."

"So who is he then? You two look awfully close," I asked, taking another look at the picture. With a soft smile, she unhooked the picture before handing it to me, "That's my best friend, Sasuke. He's actually more like a brother than anything."

I nodded silently, running my fingers over the picture before handing it back to her. A question poked at my mind as I suddenly asked, "You mentioned that no one has ever asked about you and Sasuke. Not even your friends. Why is that?" With a chuckle, she pulled into the parking lot of my job. "Ah, let's just say…guys aren't exactly my type."

I suddenly blushed, catching on to what she meant. Perhaps that was why she was making all those comments about how I looked earlier. As if reading my mind, she patted my shoulder, "Relax. I'm not going to jump you. I think you're very pretty though, but honestly, I say that to every girl I meet."

Rolling my eyes with a smile, I teased, "Is that so? And here I thought you actually knew how to make a girl feel special." Her jaw dropped as she quickly blurted out, "W-wait I didn't mean it! I'm not really like that! I just…aww fuck, way to screw up Haruno."

With a grin, I grabbed my purse, reaching over to pat her shoulder the same way she did mine, "I'm kidding Sakura. Seriously, thanks so much for your help. I'll have to pay you back."

"If it's more money then I wouldn't hold my breath," she murmured, slumping into her seat as she ran her fingers through her hair. Slapping her arm with a playful glare, I stepped out of the car. "Oh hush. Seriously though, how about tonight. Let me take you to dinner?"

Shifting up in her seat, she shrugged, "I dunno, I'm usually the one taking pretty girls to dinner." Folding my arms and giving her an amused look, I cleared my throat impatiently. "Alright, geez. Take a joke," she chuckled out, scratching her hair. "Okay, I can do dinner. Nothing to uppity though. I'd rather not have to pull out a suit and tie tonight."

I shook my head, agreeing completely. "No problem, I haven't bothered getting uppity, as you put it, in a long time. There's this new seafood place that I've been wanting to check out. Sound good?" A low hum passed her lips as she laughed softly, "I'd say that sounds more than good."

Nodding, I pulled my phone from my pocket when it started to vibrate. "Okay then. I've gotta get inside, my first client showed up early," I quickly apologized for having to cut our conversation short. "No worries. I'm gonna head home and shower up and probably rest. Maybe a few movies or something till you get off, just call me when you're ready," she finished, sitting back up as she started up her car.

After encouraging her to drive safely, I made my way inside. Quickly throwing open my office door, I made my way back out into the lobby, grabbing my clipboard from my desk. "I hadn't expected you so soon. Please come in –" I halted the second my eyes rose from my clipboard to observe the client who was sitting in the chair by the desk.

"Forgive me for showing up so early unannounced," the man spoke sweetly as he rose from his seat. Unable to form a coherent though, I simply stepped to the side, gesturing to my office with narrowed eyes, "No it's fine. Please…come in." He did so and reluctantly, I followed suit, closing my door with a soft click.

Placing the clipboard back on my desk, I folded my arms over my chest, narrowing my eyes at the last person I had expected to see. "So I trust you're not here for a massage, and if you are, you'll be thoroughly disappointed," I sternly told him, no hint of remorse in my voice. The familiar chuckle and smirk at his lips was something I hadn't missed at all. It was cold and disgusting, more than enough to make me cringe whenever I saw it.

"Ah, just as cold as ever aren't you baby girl," he grinned loosely, casually looking around my office. "What do you want Deidara?" I mumbled, moving to the bathroom in the corner of my office to wash my hands.

"What other reason do I have for being here other than to see my stunning girlfr –"

With a scoff and roll of my eyes, I gripped the sink tightly beneath my fingers, "I don't think so. You must have me confused with someone else because last I checked, I was single." I could hear the smooth chuckle fall from his lips, amused by my comment, "Maybe you should check again."

Walking out of the bathroom, my eyes instantly locked onto the item in his hands. Storming over, I snatched it from his fingers, glaring at him coldly. "Ah, no need to be so uptight baby. He is my son too after all," he sighed, moving to claim the chair behind my desk.

"The same son you didn't want. You don't have the right to call yourself his father," I snapped, placing the picture frame of Ryu and me on top of my file cabinet. He shrugged, folding his arms casually behind his head, "Of course I'm not Daddy of the Year type material but I'm still the little runt's father."

"His name is Ryu," I bit out, irritated that he didn't seem the least bit remorseful about forgetting his own son's name. Waving me off, he kicked his feet up onto my desk, looking far too relaxed for my liking, "Yeah sure whatever. Now you on the other hand…have definitely maintained that body of yours." His eyes roamed over my body in a way that made me extremely uncomfortable, "You can't even tell you gave birth to the little runt."

One more time. He had one more fucking time to talk about my son. His presence was steadily becoming unbearable. I didn't want him here. He made me nervous, far too nervous than I'd care to admit. I'd been in far too many close calls as it was and I wasn't planning on letting him take advantage of me again.

I was snapped from my thoughts as he called my name sternly. Slowly meeting his eyes, I watched as he gestured me over with his finger. Scoffing, I opened the door, gesturing to the lobby, "I think you should go." He shook his head, rising from my chair to walk over and close my door. Glaring at him, I hissed, "I said get out."

"I don't think so my dear," he started with a small laugh, only irritating me further, "I'm in need of your services." My lips curled instantly into a sneer as I turned to face him completely, "Sorry sir, but I have actual clients waiting for me."

With a grin and dip of his hands into his pockets, he held a form in front of my face. Expression smug and voice confident, he spoke, "And I just so happen to be one of those clients. So if you please, I believe I have a pain in my upper thigh that needs your special touch."

Glaring at him, I snatched the paper from his fingers. Scanning my eyes over the document, I was horrified to in fact see that he'd been approved for my treatment in the aforementioned area of his body. Shoving the paper into his chest, I clicked my teeth in agitation, moving to unlock the door to the parlor in my office.

I gestured for him to go inside, closing the door behind me. I ignored him as he discarded all of his clothes, save for his boxers. It was just my luck that this asshole would show up at my job. One of my few places of solitude. I couldn't catch a break to save my life.

"Lie down," I mumbled, watching as he did so with a smirk. Groan falling from my lips, I narrowed my eyes as I gently pushed up the hem of his boxers. Gently, I pressed my fingers into his lower thigh. I pressed carefully, working my way up as slowly as possible.

"There," he hissed out when my fingers pushed at his upper thigh. So he really did hurt himself. Probably from spending all his time fucking everything with a pair of breasts and nice legs. I shook my head at the thought, not surprised in the least if that was the case.

Tucking some of my hair from my face, I pressed my fingers deep into his skin, rolling them in a circular motion. There was definitely a knot there and I knew I'd have to do a bit more work to soothe it out. However, thankfully the consultations didn't last very long.

The sooner this prick was out of here, the better.

I got my wish because the next thing I know, the small timer on the counter sprang to life. Pulling away from him immediately, I turned off the timer and grabbed his paperwork. "Get dressed," I grumbled, turning to write down the notes that I had taken.

I could hear him shuffling behind me before all grew quiet. Reading over the files, my breath stopped in my throat as I felt hands at my waist. Bare chest pressed against me and lips at my ear, he whispered, "Ya know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were eager to get rid of me."

Unable to help the conscious roll of my eyes, I shot him a warning look. "No," I breathed out sarcastically, "Wherever did you get such a ridiculous idea?" The amused laugh rumbled his chest as he gripped my waist tighter, "Just as smart mouthed as ever. Don't worry…I can fix that."

A small hitch of my breath sounded as his fingers slipped under my shirt. "Stop," I breathed, closing my eyes. He didn't answer, settling instead for running his lips along the side of my neck as he pressed me down into the counter.

"You still taste just as deliciously as I remember," he mumbled with the drag of his tongue along my neck. Another plea for him to stop fell from my lips when I felt his fingers brush the skin right under my bra. One hand slipped down my stomach, slipping past the hem of my jeans.

Unable to take anymore, I brought the heel of my foot up right between his legs. A groan of pain sounded behind me as I quickly spun around and brought my hand harshly across his face. Moving back into my office, I pressed the button for security under my desk. Stumbling out of my office with his hand covering his groin and a prominent red mark on his cheek, his dark blue eyes locked with my own as he stalked towards me. "You shouldn't have done that Ino," he growled dangerously, snatching me by the throat and slamming me into the wall when I tried to escape.

Two seconds later, security kicked down the door, wrestling him to the ground. I collapsed to my knees, fingers grabbing my throat as I tried to force oxygen back into my throat. The receptionist, Hinata, came in, fingers soothingly rubbing my back as she helped me to my feet.

"You're going to regret that," he hissed as security dragged him out of my office. Teeth grinding together, I allowed Hinata to help me to my chair. "Who was that," she asked in a meek and concerned voice. I shook my head, leaning back in my chair to glare at the ceiling, "An old headache is all."

She watched me for a while, not saying anything but simply remaining observant. With a careful look her way, I sighed. Dragging my fingers through my hair, I mumbled out, "I'm fine. Send in the next client."

X

That bastard. Why did he have to show up at my job? Of all places! I was hoping that after we split up that would be the last of him I saw for a nice long time. It would be my luck to have him show up at my job and start feeling me up.

Stupid prick. I gave him what he deserved though. A nice kick in the balls and a slap to the face was just what he needed to be taken down a peg. Maybe I was asking for too much but honestly, I just wished he was one of those men who stayed away from women once they had a kid.

I was making far more money than I needed having graduated in an advanced program. Had my own apartment in a prospering city. I was more than capable of raising my son on my own. His father had made his choice and I wasn't going to sit and beg him to stay.

He didn't give a damn about Ryu. All he wanted was for me to wait on him hand and foot and to fuck him whenever he wanted. I wanted to establish myself and start a family. It made me sick just thinking about how he asked me to get my tubes tied. It made me even more nauseous to think about how after I told him I was pregnant, he practically begged me to get an abortion.

Of all things. That bastard.

"Ino," a voice called beside me. I looked to my left, eyes resting on the hand that placed itself on my shoulder. Following the hand up to the arm it was attached to, I saw who had called my name. "Sakura," I murmured, blinking in confusion.

Flashing me a grin, she pulled her hand away from my shoulder. "Ah, for a second I thought I lost you there," she laughed softly, pulling into the parking lot of the daycare. I blinked again before quickly coming to my senses, "Oh! Sorry, I was just a bit distracted."

Unfastening my seatbelt, I moved to open the door. "I uh…I'll be right back," I mumbled silently, quickly closing the door as I made my way inside. "Good afternoon Ms. Yamanaka," the voice of one of the staff sounded. I gave her a weak smile, adding in a small wave for good measure.

With a quick look around, I spotted the blonde hair of my child. His eyes were glued to the TV screen as some random movie played for the children. I caught the other daycare staff's attention, waving with a smile and point at Ryu.

With a grin, she nodded. Tapping his shoulder, she pointed behind him to me. Waggling my fingers, I gave a soft chuckle as his eyes lit up. "Mommy!" He squealed softly, running into my arms, nearly tripping in the process.

"Careful sweetheart," I giggled, hoisting him up as I placed a kiss on his head. I gratefully took his bag and snack from the woman who was watching the rest of the children. Signing him out at the front desk, I made my way back to Sakura's car, strapping him in tightly.

As soon as I claimed my seat, we were off again. I directed Sakura to the repair shop where my car was waiting to be picked up. Taking the bus all week and getting a ride from Sakura definitely had their perks but I was grateful to be getting my car back.

Once we got there, I had to beg Ryu to stay put as I went to go find my car. He tended to get fussy when I was out of eyesight for too long. Handing my ticket over to the mechanic, I graciously took my keys. I followed him over to where my car was parked, climbing into the driver's seat as I started it up.

With a breath of relief, I flashed him a grin when I heard my car start up smoothly. "You are amazing," I breathed out. He chuckled, wiping his oiled hands on the towel thrown around his shoulders, "Well we definitely try." Digging in my purse, I handed him a generous tip as I made my way back to Sakura's car.

I grabbed Ryu, heading over to secure him in my car. Sakura pulled her car alongside my own, giving me a thumbs up. "Did you need time to rest? We can wait if you want." I shook my head, double-checking to make sure Ryu was secure in his car seat before I climbed in myself.

"Nah, that's alright. I don't want him out too late," I said with a smile. Shrugging, she flashed me a grin of her own, "Alright then. I'll follow you." Giving her a nod, I pulled a quick right out of the gated lot of the repair shop.

It didn't take us very long and soon enough, we were pulling into the parking lot of the restaurant. I grabbed Ryu from the back who had fallen asleep at some point during the ride. Sakura caught the door for me and I signaled my thanks with an appreciative smile.

We didn't have to wait very long for a table and after I managed to wake Ryu, we were already placing our orders. "Order anything you want. It's on me," I told Sakura, pouring Ryu's juice into his cup and handing it to him.

"Ah, such generosity," she chuckled, placing down the menu to look at me, "What have I done to deserve such an act of kindness?" I rolled my eyes, gently brushing Ryu's hair, "So have you all of a sudden forgotten your act of charity yesterday and today?"

"Charity? I'd like to call it doing the right thing. Saving damsels in distress and all that," she shrugged, causally leaning back in her chair. Amused, I didn't have time to stop the snort that left my lips. "Okay Sakura."

Her light laugh sparked one within me as well as I shook my head. Our waiter came back soon after. I ordered the fried catfish and some sides while getting Ryu a simple basket of fish and chips. I didn't think it was a good idea to have him start experimenting with other items on the menu just yet.

Turning in our menus, I relaxed back in my seat, casting my gaze out the window to my left. It was a nice day outside. Despite it being the middle of June, it wasn't too hot. There was a breeze going and honestly, after the day I've had, getting a bit of sun sounded pretty good.

A tap on my hand caught my attention as I turned around to see Ryu looking at me with wide eyes. "What's wrong baby?" Giving an annoyed huff, he crossed his arms over his chest, "Mommy you didn't ask me about my day at school!"

I blinked, slowly processing what he had just said. A hearty laugh fell from Sakura's lips as she gave me a look, "Looks like you're slacking. Your own kid called you out." Rolling my eyes with a smile, I propped my chin in my hand, "Shut up Sakura."

"Ah! Mommy you said not to say that word. You haf to say be quiet!" My son scolded me quickly, finger accusingly pointing at my face. Another laugh came from across the table and I quickly shot Sakura a glare. "That's two for two Ino!"

"Sakura," I warned, arching my brow, "Be quiet." Snickers dying down, she flashed me an innocent look. With a sneer, I shook my head and turned to face Ryu, "Alright baby. Tell mommy about your day." Eyes flashing brightly, he grinned with a nod.

"Let's see! Uhh well first, we had bweakfust and then we did our letters. Oh! Guess what mommy?" He bumbled out, swinging his legs back and forth. "I don't know sweetheart, what?" I giggled, playing along with his game. "I knew all the letters already cuz you helped me! See, I got a star!"

Unzipping his jacket, he proudly pointed to the bright yellow star on his shirt that said Star of the Day on it. With a giggle and ruffle of his hair, I applauded, smiling as Sakura did the same. "That's my little man. You're so smart, aren't you?"

He nodded with a grin. "Uh huh! Then…and then we went outside and I got to play fweeze tag wiff Kira, Toru and Takeshi! After that, we got to color and we had lunch too. Then we got to watch a movie! I think it was called the punchback of something dom."

Even I couldn't suppress the laugh that slipped out. Brushing back his hair, I corrected him, "I think you mean The Hunchback of Notre Dame sweetie." Shaking his head, he frowned, "Nah, I don't think that's it." Sakura chuckled, shaking her head. Obviously we both knew the name of the movie already. It was pretty amusing to listen to him tell me I was wrong though.

Kids.

Our food came out shortly afterwards. Cutting up Ryu's food into smaller pieces, I allowed him to eat as I watched Sakura take a bite of her own food. "Good?" I asked, curious to see if my friends' recommendation for the place was as legit as she made it seem. With a nod and happy nibble at her fish, she answered, "Uh huh. Pretty good."

Finally able to partake in my own meal, I sighed as I allowed my food to run along my taste buds. Savoring each flavor, I sighed, "I'm so glad Tenten told me about this place." With a chuckle, Sakura took another bite of her food, "Yeah. I'm surprised myself. My studio isn't too far from here yet I've never seen this place before."

Setting down my fork, I asked, "Where is your studio?" Pausing mid bite, she grinned and pointed out the window. Following her gesturing finger, I frowned when nothing particular caught my eye. "Ah, you can't see it directly from here. Those two towers though, it's right behind them."

"I bet it's amazing," I breathed out, mind rolling around with various thoughts, "I'd love to see it one of these days." Blinking, Sakura's eyes caught my own before she reached up to rub at the back of her neck. "Well," she murmured, quickly dropping her eyes from my own, "If you want we can stop by after this."

Wiping some ketchup from Ryu's mouth, I tilted my head to one side. "What do you mean?" A groan sounded from her lips as she looked out the window, "My studio…I can take you inside if you want. If not that's cool…I uh…I just figured ya know? Forget it, ah, I'm just being stupid."

Watching her fidget at asking me such a simple question was amusing in a cute sort of way. With a smile, I shrugged, "Darn. And here I was thinking I'd get to see where you make your magic?" I could feel her eyes focus on me instantly. After a few minutes of silence, an amused chuckle rumbled her chest.

"Well I'd love to show you a move or two. Actually, my friend helps out at the studio. She's teaching a class. After this, I'm sure we could catch her and see what they're working on," she finished, picking around at her food once more.

With a careful nod and glance her way, I smiled, "I'd like that. I'm sure Ryu would too. Maybe he'll want to come by for lessons." Brushing his hair back as he shoved fries in his mouth, I asked, "How does that sound kiddo? Wanna learn how to dance?" Blinking at Sakura and me, he continued to mash fries down his throat as he nodded, "Otay momma!"

Giggling, I shook my head as I passed him his juice. Sakura chuckled as well, clapping her hands together, "Guess that settles it! I'm sure he'll love it; we've got kids of all ages. Plus, my friends' daughter should be there too. They'll be friends pretty quick I'm sure."

I nodded, finishing up my food. It was strange that I was already spending so much time with Sakura. As a mother, I was generally more cautious when it came to strangers. However, Sakura was different. She went out of her way to put me at ease just to give me a ride yesterday. Maybe she had some sort of ulterior motive to do so, but for now, it was fine.

She seemed like a nice easygoing kind of person. Her personality and nature made you instantly feel calm and relaxed. Almost like you'd been friends for a long time. I watched with soft eyes as she stuck her spoon to her nose, earning a fit of giggles from Ryu. I knew I was pretty untrusting when it came to strangers but Ryu was even worse than I was.

He never willingly went with people he didn't know. Of course I had taught him to be wary but considering he was so attached to me at the hip, I never had to worry. Hell, even getting him used to my younger brother took some work. Of course, his Uncle Ichiro knew how to fix that. The two spent quite a lot of time together when I visited my parents place. Of course they were more than excited to spend time with their grandson.

Spoiled him rotten too. Probably why he got into the habit of whining when he didn't get his way. It was most definitely my mother's doing.

I watched with a soft smile as Sakura now did some sort of animal impression that had Ryu's face red with laughter. A couple of onlookers watched and surprisingly, none of them seemed annoyed. In fact, amused smiles lit their faces. It was true then. There was nothing more infectious than that of a child's laughter.

I guess that was just one of Sakura's qualities. She was so easy to get along with. Especially with children it seemed. It definitely made sense that she worked with kids. I bet they all adored her. Honestly, I could see why. Her eyes caught my own as she felt me staring, quickly tossing me a loose grin.

Fighting the blush that slowly crept up my neck, I quickly looked back down at my plate. "Alright, I'm full," I huffed out, pushing my plate to the center of the table. Calling over our waiter, I got a few boxes and after paying out and leaving a nice tip, we exited the restaurant.

Climbing into our respective cars, I followed behind Sakura to her studio. In didn't take us long considering the restaurant was pretty close. Climbing out and grabbing Ryu, I followed Sakura up to the front door. Gesturing for me to go first, I did so. My jaw dropped as soon as we walked in.

The place was huge. The check in area along with the lobby. You could see the various classrooms along the wall. Further back you could see what appeared to be a cafeteria and other rooms probably for entertainment purposes. Along the front sides of the building were stairs that lead to the second floor.

"Sakura," I breathed out, unable to conceal my amazement, "This place is…just…whoa." She chuckled, rubbing her neck with a sheepish grin, "Thanks. Took a hell of a lot of time and money but it was worth it. Working hard pays off."

I guess it did. You'd have to be rolling in dough to afford a place like this. The sound of music coming from upstairs caught my attention. Sakura noticed immediately and with a gentle squeeze of my shoulder, she nodded, "Looks like they're in the middle of something. Let's go check it out."

Nodding, I followed her up the stairs. Sure enough, a group of about twenty or so children around the ages of five or six were practicing. A woman around our age with dark brown hair pulled into a messy bun was leading them as she moved her body freely. Sakura leaned against the wall, smile pulling at her lips as she watched them move.

Music finally drawing to a close, they all slowed down to a halt. Deciding to make her appearance, Sakura opened the door, motioning for me to follow. The second we entered, everyone's eyes were on us, more specifically Sakura. The second they saw her, screams of excitement filled the room as they all rushed over to her.

Laughter bubbling from her chest, she ruffled hair, pounded fists and high-fived the kids. "I see you guys in here putting in work. Looking good," she told them, smiling as each of their faces lit up excitedly. A little girl with light brown hair and green eyes quickly ran over, squealing Sakura's name as she jumped into her arms.

With a chuckle, Sakura hoisted the girl into her arms, "Hey to you too Princess." The young woman who had been teaching the children walked over, smirk on her lips as she flung her towel over her shoulder. "What are you doing here; you're off today aren't you?"

Shrugging, Sakura handed the young girl over to the nameless woman, whom I presumed to be her mother. "Yeah but I had a friend who wanted to check out the place. Maybe her little dude might come join us one of these days." Turning to face me with a smile, she motioned me over.

"Ino, this is my good friend Rin. She's one of the teacher's here and that's her little girl, Kaya. Rin, this is Ino. She's a new friend of mine and this is her little dude, Ryu." I extended my hand with a warm smile, "Nice to meet you." Rin quickly took my hand, shaking it with a grin, "Same here. Gosh, your son is adorable!"

Smiling, I sat Ryu on the floor, "Thank you. Your daughter is very beautiful; I assume she gets that from her mother." A musical laugh fell from her lips as she quickly walked over to swing her arm around my neck, "I like her already! She's definitely my kind of girl."

Sakura rolled her eyes, glancing down between the Ryu and Kaya who were looking nervously between each other. Squatting down, she gently placed her hands atop of their head. "Kaya, this is Ryu. He's going to be hanging out here from time to time with us. He's going to need a friend, can you do that?"

Kaya blinked, dark green eyes scanning over Ryu who was nervously shifting on his heels. Smile breaking out over her face, she nodded, "Uh huh! Ryu let's be buddies okay?" Nervously taking a step back to cling to my leg, I rolled my eyes.

"Awww, poor baby. Is he shy?" Rin asked, stooping down to give him a reassuring smile. "Something like that," I sighed, brushing his hair. "It's okay sweetheart, she's nice see?" Rubbing his face further into my leg, he whined.

"Kaya…baby come here for a sec," Rin motioned over. The young girl quickly bounced over, grin still on her face. "I think Ryu needs a hug." Eyes lighting up quickly, Kaya eagerly hugged Ryu from behind. Fidgeting, he squeezed me tighter as a soft whimper passed his lips.

Quickly dropping to his level, I brushed his hair back, kissing his forehead. "Sweetheart you're alright. She just wanted to give you a hug and be friends." Spinning him around, brushed the tears from his cheeks.

Kaya quickly captured him into another hug. Pulling away, she moved to poke his nose. Not expecting that, Ryu's eyes widened slowly as he rubbed his nose. "You're a big boy right? Big boys don't cry!" Kaya scolded playfully. Scrunching up his nose, he huffed out, "I am too a big boy!"

"Then don't cry! Give me a hug," Kaya teased, extending her arms. With a huff, he quickly wrapped his arms around her, hugging her back before pulling away. Folding his arms over his chest, he puffed out, "See!" Laughs filled the room and even I was one of them. Of course he just had to prove himself as being a big boy. I had to admit, Kaya definitely knew how to poke at a man's pride.

"My goodness," Rin breathed out as she ruffled Kaya's hair, "This girl. All attitude I swear. I'm so sorry." I giggled, placing my hand on Ryu's head as he continued to pout, "No it's alright. Trust me; this kid has his moments too. I'm sure he gets his stubbornness from me."

"You both are such fun," Rin started, waving bye to the last of the children as they slipped out. I hadn't even noticed that they had left. "Even if he doesn't end up taking the class, I'd love for us all to hand out sometime." Smiling, I nodded, "That sounds great. I'd love to."

"Text me if you ever wanna set up a playdate," Rin said quickly. I nodded with a smile, exchanging numbers with her before waving her and Kaya goodbye. I started to leave as well, looking to tell Sakura goodbye but she was nowhere to be seen. Frowning, I paused when I suddenly heard music sound behind me.

Turning around, I saw sitting there by the stereo. "Sakura," I called softly, confused. Giving me a smile, she whispered, "I want to see you dance." Blushing, I quickly looked around. "I uh…I can't," I quickly stammered out, already trying to make my way to the exit. Catching me by the wrist, she pulled me back, "Come on, please." Holding her eyes, I nervously chewed my lip, "Sakura."

"Close your eyes. It'll be like I'm not even here," she pleaded, eyes searching my own. Swallowing nervously, I looked away, "I'm not even dressed. I'm still in my uniform and –"

"Ino…please," she begged once more, voice desperate. Why did she want to see me dance so badly? So I could make a fool out of myself? I hadn't bothered with dancing since my high school days. College consumed too much of my free time and I had Ryu right afterwards so I never got the chance. The way she was looking at me though.

She wanted to see me dance. For whatever reason, I found myself nodding. Whispering a soft okay, I shakily moved to the center of the room. She moved to sit back on the floor and Ryu followed, sitting beside her as she handed him her phone.

"Just let your body move freely. Turn around and close your eyes and just move," she whispered gently. Nodding, I did what I was instructed to do. Swallowing down the anxiety that had been bubbling in my chest, I drew in a slow breath.

After a few minutes, I gently coaxed my body into a flow of movement. The rhythm flowed through my body as my hips swayed from side to side. Fingers slid up my jean covered thighs as I lifted my other hand to run my fingers through my hair.

Each soft tick of the beat coursed through me. And soon enough, I was dancing freely. My eyes were still closed but a smile had somehow worked its way to my lips. Feeling less nervous, I dropped to the floor before slowly coming up. The breath at my neck came as a surprise as I paused.

"That was amazing," the voice whispered carefully. Opening my eyes slowly, I could see Sakura's reflection behind me in the mirror. Slowly turning to face her, I held her eyes as I nodded, "Thank you." She nodded back, giving me an easy smile as she walked back to the stereo, flicking it off.

"I'll see you around sometime Ino," she whispered, smile pulling at her lips. Motioning Ryu over, I gently pulled him along as I waved her farewell with a dumbfounded look. "Y-yeah…see ya." Heading downstairs, I quickly secured Ryu in his car seat before climbing behind the wheel and pulling off.

"What the hell," I breathed out quietly, leaning my head against the steering wheel as I approached the stop light. What was that? Words couldn't even explain what the sensation was that I was feeling. The way my body had felt when I was dancing was indescribable. But Sakura. Now that was unexpected. The chill I felt as her breath tickled the back of my neck was just…I don't even know.

"Damn it!" I huffed out. "Mommy that's a bad word!" Ryu scolded, kicking the back of my seat. I groaned, turning to flip off the person behind me who had honked. Today was just throwing me curveballs left and right and I was striking out like there was no tomorrow.

Whoa. Okay so this is super long so I apologize. Forgive me for any major grammar issues. Some of them are intended for Ryu befcause he's still little and can't speak properly all the time. I know many of you aren't reading this story just yet but I wanted to update to let you know I am in fact alive. Don't worry, I'm working on the next chapter of Freestyle as we speak. Sorry guys, I've been having some serious writer's block and it was hard. Oh well, at least I managed to get this out for you. Read/review and I'll try to get this Freestyle chapter out to guys soon!