Soooooo guess who forgot she had five midterms over the last two weeks…ugh stupid higher educational system. Sorry to have you guys waiting so long and I understand it can be frustrating, but as much as I love writing in my list of priorities it's honestly on the backburner. Passing a test or doing homework vs. updated a chapter? *sharp inhale* Yeah academics pretty much wins every time. So sorry once again, but like I said- school's first. And it's not like I'm not working on the story during these breaks, it's just I only have time to do a little bit for a short time on sporadic days. Buuuut I understand hating the suspense and waiting (you darn Sasoris haha) sooooo I made this chapter my longest one so far this story.
Also, before you continue on: THANKS TO EVERYBODY WHO REVIEWED!
"Hey. Hey!" Sakura winced as she felt a pressure being applied to the center of her forehead.
"Poke harder," a second voice whispered back and the pressure turned into quick, incessant jabs.
"Wake up!" The first voice hissed again and Sakura's eyes blinked closed even tighter. Her senses began drifting back into consciousness and against her body she felt the soft, plush cushions of her couch where she'd fallen asleep. When she'd returned home, Ino had fallen asleep across her bed and elated kunoichi decided not to disturb her slumbering friend.
"If you think I'm about to leave then you're outta your mind. Now wake up Forehead!" There was one more sharp jab to the middle of Sakura's head and Sakura sighed irritably. She opened her eyes crossly and allowed a moment for the blurriness from sleep to leave her eyesight.
"What do you guys want?" She grumbled and grabbed the blanket draped around her and pulled it tightly to her chin. Shunsuke and Ino hovered less than a foot over her with expectant faces.
"Do you know what time it is?" Ino demanded as she straightened up with her hands on her hips.
Sakura blinked one eye closed and looked around the room until she spotted the clock. "Yeah, it's like 2:30 in the morning. Do you know that?" Sakura rolled over on the couch so that her back was now to the duo.
Shunsuke's small hand grasped her shoulder and shook her lightly. "Wake up Mama, we wanna know about you an' Sasuke-sama's date."
"Shunsuke," Sakura groaned once more. "I'm tired. I'll tell you two about it in the morning."
"It is the morning!" Shunsuke tried and shook his mother's shoulder again.
"Later in the morning," Sakura clarified.
Shunsuke groaned dramatically. "Alright," he frowned.
Sakura enjoyed several seconds of silence before Shunsuke's finger began poking her. "It's later Mama."
Sakura tossed the cover off and flew upward to face her expectant audience. "Ino. Shunsuke. It's almost three in the morning. I have to work later and all I want to do right now is sleep. Now both of you, leave me alone and sometime after I wake up-on my own accord-I'll tell you. But for right now I'm done talking. Goodnight." With that Sakura lay back down and pulled the covers to her chin. The duo sighed and finally Shunsuke spoke.
"Yes ma'am," he conceded reluctantly. He spun around on his heel and headed into his bedroom. "Night guys," he grumbled as he shuffled back to his bedroom. Ino, however, remained in the room.
"Goodnight, Ino," Sakura reiterated and with a huff Ino swatted the air, spun around, and walked away.
The next morning when Sakura officially woke up, Ino had already left. Choji- who knew that Ino babysat Shunsuke the previous night- figured that since the blonde wasn't home she was still at Sakura's house and arrived early that morning to tell his teammate of a mission they had received. Ino assured a half asleep Sakura that they would talk once she returned the next day and left without further word.
About two hours later at around seven that morning, Sakura woke up once more and almost instantaneously she heard a knocking on the front door. She yawned and stretched her back before getting up to answer it. She opened the door with a sleepy smile, already knowing who was on the other side.
"Hey Sasuke," she opened the door yawned with half closed eyes. She slid behind the door, opening it wider and allowed him to enter.
"Good morning," Sasuke replied as he stepped inside. Last night, the two of them had decided to collectively tell Shunsuke about the new development in their relationship. "Sleep well?"
Sakura closed the door and rolled her eyes. "No. Ino and Shunsuke woke me up at like three in the morning asking about our date."
Sasuke gave a short amused laugh and entered the kitchen with Sakura. "What'd you tell them?"
Sakura cocked her head over her shoulder and raised her brows. "I told them I was going back to sleep."
"So I have to sit through Shunsuke's interrogation too? Great." Sasuke grumbled.
Sakura laughed and pulled out a pot. "Ha, you were gonna have to sit through that either way. You shoulda known that." Sasuke sat in the wooden chair of the kitchen table and scoffed.
"Shunsuke!" Sakura called out. The young child would have typically woken up by now.
"So are we still on for this afternoon?" Sakura lowered her voice and asked with a sly smile. Sasuke's eyebrow lifted in obvious certainty. Sakura nodded back, her smile widening. After a few minutes, Shunsuke didn't arrive and Sakura called for him again. From Shunsuke's open bedroom she could hear the young child let out an loud, groggy groan in response.
"You want me to get him?" Sasuke offered, rising from the chair. Sakura nodded and went to sit at the table, waiting as the rice cooked on the stove.
In about a minute, Sasuke returned with Shunsuke stumbling beside him. The half awake child held tightly to Sasuke's middle three fingers as he blindly let the older man lead him into the kitchen.
"Morning Shunsuke," Sakura laughed when she saw him.
"Mmm," Shunsuke murmured back and lazily waved at his mother. Sasuke returned to his seat and watched as Shunsuke headed for Sakura and crawled into her lap, laying his head in her chest.
"Probably wouldn't be so sleepy if you hadn't woken up at three in the morning," Sakura joked as she lightly scratched Shunsuke's back. The young child groaned back and pushed his head deeper into Sakura's chest. For about ten minutes, the two adults sat in silence while Shunsuke's deep, slumbered breathing filled the room. Eventually, Sakura stood up and held Shunsuke with one arm as she walked to the stove to check on the rice. Sasuke stood up quickly and went to the stove.
"I'll do it." Sasuke offered.
"Mmm mmm," Shunsuke moaned shaking his head against Sakura.
"Hmm?" She responded. The young child must have woken up when she stood.
"Don't let 'im near the stove," Shunsuke yawned in a scratchy voice. Sasuke's eyes twitched and narrowed at Shunsuke. Sakura was able to contain a laugh but was unable to hide her smile. Shunsuke continued with half closed eyes. "He might burn it."
"I'm just stirring rice, Shunsuke," Sasuke snarled defensively which only made Sakura laugh.
"I'm sure it'll be alright," Sakura reassured as she returned to the table and left Sasuke at the stove. Shunsuke huffed, unconvinced but said nothing more. Sasuke returned to the table after a minute, his face still contorted in a slight scowl.
"So how was it?" Shunsuke asked, sitting up in Sakura's lap and looking expectantly between both adults. "Whaddya do? Whaddya talk about?"
Sakura put a hand on Shunsuke's head and laughed. "It was fun, I enjoyed it. Thanks for setting it up."
"Same here," Sasuke answered shortly.
Shunsuke bounced impatiently on Sakura's lap and huffed. "That's not sayin' nothin'."
"Well we do have some really good news, but it comes in two parts." Shunsuke nodded and waited for Sakura to continue.
"We can't tell you the second part until after school, but," Sakura added quickly upon seeing the frown form on her son's face. "We do wanna tell you the first part now."
Shunsuke sighed at being left in the dark but nodded once more. "Okay, what's that?"
Sakura shot Sasuke a glance and the older man spoke. For once, she embraced his bluntness. "Shunsuke…how would you feel if your mother and I dated?"
Shunsuke's eyes flew open. "Huh?"
Sakura nodded. "Sasuke and I want to start dating, Shunsuke."
Shunsuke's small nose crinkled and he giggled. "You mean you're his girlfriend now?"
"Umm, yeah." Sakura nodded once more.
"Are you alright with that?" Sasuke asked, surprisingly ever conscious of the young child's feelings.
Shunsuke was quiet for a moment, then cringed suddenly. "….Ewwwww," he laughed and Sakura and Sasuke only looked back and forth between each other and the laughing child. Shunsuke scratched his messy hair and shrugged. "Yeah I guess it's ok. But you guys aren't gonna kiss or nothin'?"
Sakura's eyes narrowed and Shunsuke shrugged once more. "You don't hafta tell me, it's fine."
"So you're ok with it I'm guessing." Sakura replied monotonously.
Shunsuke grinned and nodded back. "Yeah I am," his small arms briefly hugged his mother's neck. "Guess that means Sasuke-sama didn't blow it."
Sasuke exhaled sharply through his nose and shot Shunsuke a look which the boy responded to by giggling.
"I'm gonna check on the rice," Sakura laughed and set Shunsuke down in a chair between them. "Almost done," she called out, remaining by the stove.
"Pssst, Sasuke-sama," Shunsuke whispered as he poked Sasuke's arm. "Don't get too comf't'ble."
"What?" Sasuke whispered back.
"I'm just sayin', just 'cause you an' Mama were friends-"
"Shunsuke…when I need relationship advice, I'll ask you…possibly. Until then, just let me handle it."
Shunsuke drew his lips in and puffed his cheeks out, but said no more. And Sasuke satisfactorily turned his attention to Sakura as she pulled a container of natto from the refrigerator and began preparing three bowls of breakfast.
As planned, Sasuke arrived at the hospital after his check-in meeting at the tower. Sakura's face lit up when she saw him.
"Awesome, you made it!" she exclaimed, picking up her house key and holding it out for him. Sasuke took the key and Sakura continued speaking. "Lady Tsunade gave me thirty minutes, but first I've gotta check in on a few patients, so I'll probably get there in about an hour."
"I'll be done by then," Sasuke replied, twirling the key in his hand.
"We'll see," Sakura quipped back with a smirk. "And Naruto and Ten Ten have given us the go ahead, so we're set. See you at the Academy?"
Sasuke smirked, "Yeah." Then he held up a hand and left the office.
That afternoon, Sakura got off of work and headed for the Academy to pick up Shunsuke. Sasuke was already there as planned. He smiled at Sakura as she approached with a bright smile and single wave.
Sasuke leaned against the nearby fence and Sakura walked up and stopped in front of him. Looking up to him she smiled mischievously. "You ready?"
Sasuke scoffed in amusement. "Hell yeah."
He pushed himself off the fence and straightened up so his body was brushed against Sakura's. Immediately she flushed and diverted her gaze to a rock beside Sasuke's foot. A slow smile spread across Sasuke's face as Sakura's bashful actions and he lifted his thumb to run along her cheek. He watched as she smiled slightly-a smile that spread when she looked up at him. She rolled her eyes and jerked her head away, nodding toward the open Academy door.
"The children are getting out now."
Sasuke let his hand return to his side and watched the stream of children for Shunsuke. The young child came bounding out of the door with Aito by his side and Seiichi following the two.
"Shunsuke!" Sakura called and waved her hand in the air. Shunsuke stopped immediately and turned his head toward the direction of the voice. His eyes scanned the area until he found Sakura and with a bright smile he waved back. The trio ran over towards to the waiting adults.
"Hey Mama, what're you guys doin' here?"
"We came to pick you up," Sakura grinned. "It's time for part two."
Shunsuke leapt into the air with his fist raised. "Aw yeah!"
"What is it?" Aito asked eagerly.
Seiichi chuckled. "Why don't we leave Shunsuke and his parents alone, hmm Aito?"
"Aw they don't mind," Aito shrugged and Shunsuke nodded in affirmation. Seiichi simply laughed again and took his younger brother's ear gently. He turned to the adults.
"It was good seeing you again," Seiichi said with a bow. "Goodbye. Bye Shunsuke." Seiichi smiled and ruffled the young boy's hair.
"Bye," Aito said grudgingly with a slight nod of his head. He pulled his ear free and took Seiichi's hand. "Lemme know what happens Shunsuke!" He called as Seiichi pulled him away.
Shunsuke waved. "'Kay!"
Shunsuke watched as Seiichi pulled Aito away and eventually the younger of the two led them home. Immediately, he turned to Sakura and Sasuke with an elated smile. "So what's the surprise?"
The two adults began walking down the street with Shunsuke walking between them, holding each of their hands.
"Guess!" Sakura beamed as they continued on.
"Ummmm, you guys brought me somethin'!" Shunsuke exclaimed excitedly. "That snake I wanted!"
"Noooo," Sakura grinned.
"Ooooo, we're goin' to get food!"
Sasuke laughed slightly. "Try again."
"Hm, are you guys buyin' me anything at all?"
"Nope." Both adults replied simultaneously and Shunsuke nodded and thought for several minutes.
"I'm learnin' a new jutsu?" He asked, looking towards Sasuke.
"No," Sasuke shook his head.
"Well, am I close?" Shunsuke sighed impatiently. They were nearing Sakura's house and Shunsuke was still unable to guess.
"Nope," Sakura replied as she shook her head.
"Well can ya tell me? Please?" Shunsuke begged. Sakura raised her brow, surprised that her usually persistent son was giving up so easily. She looked at Sasuke and he gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. Sakura nodded back and stopped, moved to stand beside Sasuke, and looked down at Shunsuke who still held on to her hand.
"We're moving!" Sakura blurted excitedly. Shunsuke's eyes blinked and narrowed in confusion.
"Huh?"
"We're moving." Sasuke reiterated with a fake smile.
"What like into Sasuke-sama's place?" Shunsuke asked Sakura, still confused.
"Nooooo…" Sakura continued, still smiling.
"We're moving to the Land of Wind, to Suna," Sasuke clarified and the two watched as Shunsuke's head tilted to the side.
After a few seconds, Shunsuke slowly broke out in laughter. "You guys're funny."
"He took that better than we thought," Sasuke nodded to Sakura.
"…You do know we're serious don't you Shunsuke?" Sakura asked her son with concerned eyes. His head tilted the other direction.
"You guys can't leave the village. 'Sides you're a medic-nin here Mama-Lady Tsunade's not gonna let you leave." Shunsuke laughed, shaking his head. He was a perceptive child, but both adults had already planned -and hoped - for his analytical skills to take over. The more sound explanations they offered for the fallacies Shunsuke found, the more credible their story seemed to him.
"Suna and Konoha have an alliance Shunsuke, you know that. They're working on expanding their medical corp. Lady Tsunade and their Kazekage arranged it- Suna's giving the Leaf a hefty sum and in return, we're headed over there for six years to help them with their medical training program."
"Well then why's Sasuke-sama comin'?" Shunsuke asked unconvinced, but his brow began unconsciously knitting in anxiety.
"We talked Lady Hokage into it, we didn't wanna separate." Sakura smiled once more.
"We were leaving today, but Sakura figured you might one last day to see your friends at school. Tsunade and Gaara agreed to give us an additional day." Sasuke added simply.
"I talked to Aito's mother, if you want to spend the night over there tonight for one last time, that's fine. Sorry, it's so short notice baby, but it's a mission-I have no choice."
Shunsuke was silent for a moment as he closely scrutinized both adult's unwavering faces.
"Still don't believe you," he finally shrugged and continued walking down the street, approaching their home. Sasuke sighed in mock agitation and Sakura echoed in mock sympathy.
"Shunsuke, I know it's a lot to take in, but this'll be a lot easier if you-"
"What play along?" Shunsuke giggled and shook his head. "Fiiine, ohh-kay you guys," he said dramatically as if playing along.
They reached the front door of Sakura's home and the pink haired woman pulled her key out for the front door.
"I'll go an' pack my stuff up." Shunsuke walked into the house laughing to himself, but froze when his mother opened the door.
"Mama…Mama!" Shunsuke croaked then yelled as he entered the house. The adults controlled their laughter and together they looked to the young boy with innocent faces.
"What's happened to our house?" Shunsuke gaped as he gestured to the now completely bare room. Sakura smiled and lightly touched the palm of her hands to his cheeks.
"We're leaving tomorrow Shunsuke, remember? We had to go ahead and start packing."
Shunsuke ran through the empty apartment and into his bedroom. "Mama!" Shunsuke yelled again.
Sakura and Sasuke quickly ran to him. "What's wrong?" she asked, both Sakura's and Sasuke's faces harboring a looks faux urgency.
"What happened to my room?" Shunsuke asked hoarsely as he stood in the middle of the small, empty room.
"Sakura just told you Shunsuke, we had to start packing. Your belongings have been sent to Suna already."
"When'd you guys do this?" Shunsuke shrieked.
Sakura's eyes looked up and to the right as she "thought." "I found out about it this morning, then I sent a message to Sasuke and while I was at work and you were at school he, Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, and Kiba got our things cleared out to save us the hassle.
"So we're really movin'?" Shunsuke queried with widened eyes.
"Yeah," Sakura nodded, her face winced in sympathy.
"But-but I don't wanna," Shunsuke stammered in protest. "I know it's your job Mama, but can we please stay? Please Mama, I don't wanna go!" Shunsuke's hands laced together pleadingly and Sakura realized he was near tears.
"Sorry Shunsuke, we don't have a choice," Sasuke interjected and Sakura shot him a pointed look. If it were up to Sasuke, the joke probably wouldn't end until they carted Shunsuke and their belongings all the way to the Sand Village. Shunsuke ran to Sakura with tears streaming down his face and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her abdomen.
"Please Mama, can't you make Lady Hokage let us stay? Please Mama, I don't wanna to go!"
As Shunsuke was pleading, Sakura began trying to wrench his arms from around her and began gently calling him, but the distressed child was oblivious.
"Shunsuke! Shunsuke!" Sakura kneeled down hoping to break his hold, but his small, strong arms only constricted tighter around her neck.
"Shunsuke, we're kidding! We're kidding!" Sakura repeated into the sobbing child's ear.
"Huh?" Shunsuke froze in mid sentence, but did not release his hold on Sakura.
"We're kidding baby," she soothed rubbing his back. Shunsuke jerked backwards and looked back and forth between Sakura and Sasuke, his eyes still gleaming with tears.
"Huh?" The child uttered once more, this time more urgently.
"It was a trick," Sasuke explained, leaning against the door frame. "As retaliation for how you tricked Sakura and I into going on a date with each other."
Shunsuke's jaw fully extended and his eyes seemed to nearly bug out. "Why?"
"We though we'd get you back for your trick-" Sasuke repeated, but Shunsuke began shaking his head quickly.
"No, why would you do that?" Shunsuke gaped. " 's mean."
"We did it to show you that it doesn't feel good getting fooled," Sakura said, already feeling guilty for upsetting the young child.
"Well at least I didn't make you cry," Shunsuke objected with a stunned grumble.
"It was the only way to make it convincing enough," Sasuke shrugged and Shunsuke shot him a glare.
"Why don't we all make an agreement-no more jokes on one another."
She held out both her pinkies for the two fellows to link. Sasuke grudgingly linked his pinky with Sakura's and both adults held their pinkies out for each of Shunsuke's. The child hesitated and chewed his bottom lip in thought.
Sasuke rolled his eyes lightly. "Shunsuke, you were just so upset you cried. I think you might want to take part in this."
"But sometimes I've gotta trick you guys!" Shunsuke objected. "Nothin'd get done if I didn't."
Seeing Sakura begin to shake her head, Shunsuke continued quickly. "If I didn't set up th' date, you an' Sasuke-sama pr'bly woulda never gone on one."
"That's not true," Sakura objected.
"Well you weren't gonna ask 'im! And we all know you weren't gonna ask her." Shunsuke's brow lifted in certainty.
"Regardless, Shunsuke, try talking honestly to us first. Lying isn't the solution." Sakura advised sternly.
Shunsuke sighed through his nose. Sasuke's pinky reached out slightly farther for his and Shunsuke shot Sasuke a glance before looking back down at the man's finger. A smile tugged at the child's mouth and slowly it broke into a grin as he linked his pinkies with both of his parents'. Sakura smiled and leaned forward to kiss her son on the forehead. Shunsuke laughed up at her.
"So if it was a joke," Shunsuke started warily, "where's all 'a' our stuff?"
"Naruto's and Ten Ten's." Sasuke answered.
Shunsuke nodded slowly. "Wow…"
"So! Can we all move on with our lives now?" Sakura smiled. Sasuke nodded, but Shunsuke shook his head.
"I'm still upset," he pouted. Sakura sighed sympathetically, but her sympathy vanished as Shunsuke continued. "And I dunno how long it's gonna take me to get over it. We might have t' talk about it over ice cream.
"You're fine," Sakura deadpanned, but Shunsuke shook his head adamantly.
"I don't think so Mama, I'm pretty sad," Shunsuke objected.
"If we take you to get ice cream, can we drop the entire issue?" Sasuke sighed shooting Shunsuke an amused look.
"Perhaps," Shunsuke said, putting a mature tone into his voice which made both adults smile. Two raven eyes turned to Sakura and she rolled her eyes with a laugh.
"Fine let's go."
"So, Shunsuke told me about what happened," Ino laughed as she leaned against the small wooden desk of Sakura's office.
"When'd you see him?" Sakura shot Ino a puzzled glance before turning back to her patient records.
"Academy. Asumiko left her lunch and I told Kurenai-sensei I'd take it to her since she had a bunch of other errands to run and I wasn't doing anything."
Sakura nodded. "Oh ok. Yeah, we got him pretty good." Sakura smiled to herself. Suddenly, Ino was beside her desk and slammed her hand down. "Now, what happened?"
"We told him we wer-"
"No not with Shunsuke and you know it," Ino interrupted. "I'm talking about with Sasuke. Hmm?"
Sakura contained a pleasant sigh. "It was…great," she nodded distantly.
"I'm glad you think this is funny." Ino replied impatiently.
"I'm not being sarcastic Ino, that's the only way I can think to describe it. I mean I had a great time."
"What'd you guys do?" Ino probed. She wouldn't be satisfied until she had enough details to perfectly recreate the date in her own mind.
"We went for dinner at Yakiniku Q, then after that we went for a walk and talked-"
"Walked where and talked about what?"
Sakura's brow creased in disbelief but she answered. "Just around the village-don't ask where exactly- and I mean we just talked about random things, about the date, Shunsuke, you know stuff like that."
A perverted smile formed on Ino's face. "So did he kiss you?"
Sakura irritably sighed and looked upward and Ino's face lit up.
"He did!" She exclaimed-resembling a child as she pointed a finger at Sakura and bounced slightly.
"Ok yeah he did," Sakura admitted, unable to hide her growing grin.
"I need specifics, set it up for me!" Ino demanded excitedly and kneeled next to Sakura's chair.
Still smiling, Sakura shrugged. "I mean we were just outside on one of the benches talking-"
"And he just leaned over and kissed you?" Ino exclaimed in a mix of a squeal and whisper.
"Well yeah, pretty much," Sakura nodded. "I mean it was after he asked me out then-"
"Wait what?" Ino froze and her eyes widened slightly.
"Yeah," Sakura nodded with a grin. "He asked me out."
"Like to be his girlfriend?" Ino questioned- her smile faded with each passing second.
Sakura nodded. "Yeah what else would I mean?"
"And what'd you say?" Ino ask, her joy from before had completely vanished from her mouth and eyes.
"…I said yes." Sakura answered tensely, now noting her friend's mood change. She heard Ino groan slightly. "What?" Sakura asked defensively.
"Sakura…" Ino started warily. "Look I may pick on you and tease you but I love you like my sister. And I'm asking you this outta complete love: is that the best decision you think?"
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked in mounting offense.
Ino held up her hands as a gesture of harmlessness and continued. "I'm just saying, is Sasuke the best person to be in a relationship with? Especially this early in the game."
"Weren't you the one pushing me to have sex with Sasuke a few nights ago?"
Ino raised an eyebrow of her closed eyes and shook her head. "Sex and relationships are different Sakura."
"Not to me." Sakura clarified pointing a finger at her less attached friend. Ino sighed sympathetically and looked at Sakura with soft, brilliant blue eyes.
"I don't want you to get screwed over again." Ino said surprisingly gently. "We spent our whole childhood being Sasuke's emotional puppets, I don't wanna see you sink there again. I supported you when you wanted to introduce him into Shunsuke's life, but honestly it's not like you had a choice. But this, this is just…dangerous Sakura."
"What do you mean dangerous? It's no different than having sex with him."
"I'm saying that you'll end up getting sucked in and-with Sasuke's track record-there's always the chance that one day…he could up and leave."
"Believe it or not, despite how cliché this sounds, Sasuke's actually changed." Sakura defended the absent Uchiha.
"He stayed two years then he just up and left!" Ino objected loudly but sympathetically. "I bet you thought he changed then too right?"
Sakura glared at Ino with glassy eyes and her trembling jaw set clenched tightly. "Sasuke and I don't have the same relationship anymore, Ino. We've both changed."
Ino looked at Sakura in silence. "What happened?" She whispered.
"What?" Sakura asked unintentionally crossly. Ino was unfazed and elaborated.
"With you and Sasuke. The first time he came back."
Sakura sighed petulantly. "You know what happened, Ino."
"No," Ino corrected, "I just know that at some point in those two years, you and Sasuke started having sex and right when he left you found out you were pregnant."
Sakura sighed once more and clenched her jaw in recollection.
"When he first came back…" Sakura began distantly, "it was a sex thing. But I wouldn't go all the way with him because I knew that...So I asked him about it one day, it was probably about half a year after he'd returned, and he told me plain and simple that he didn't want a relationship. He said it was too much work and that it just wasn't what he was looking for at the time."
"But you still stayed together," Ino interjected carefully, referring to Sakura's pregnancy. She watched as her friend nodded absently before continuing.
"You know he said he loved me," Sakura smiled faintly and shot Ino a quick look before staring out the window. "It was like a year after he'd been back. We didn't speak much for almost two months after that talk I mentioned earlier but we were teammates- I mean of course we had no choice but to hang out whenever we all got together- so one night after we had dinner with Naruto and we all went to our own homes, Sasuke doubled back and came to my apartment.
"He said he wanted to talk, so we did…He told me that he couldn't exactly explain how he felt for me-he didn't know if it was love, but he knew it was more than lust and even more he knew that he'd never felt it for anyone before. So we talked more about it and he spun the night, but still we didn't do anything. That went on for weeks probably a month: he'd sneak over every night and just lay in bed with me and talk.
"It's not like I didn't know what was gonna happen eventually if we kept it up, but I guess I didn't care. So one night when he came over…it happened. And from that point on, I guess you could say it was like I was in a relationship with Sasuke without technically being in one and worse yet, without anyone even knowing."
"Ten Ten and I were the only people who knew weren't we?"
"Yeah, and it's not like you could tell before that." Sakura nodded. Ino fought a laugh, she'd found out by overhearing a conversation between Sakura and Ten Ten. Ten Ten and Sakura were supposed to have breakfast plans-which Sakura had completely forgotten about-so the brunette took it upon herself to go to Sakura's house to make sure the usually punctual kunoichi was alright. Entering the unlocked door of both the house then bedroom, Ten Ten witnessed the two laying naked under the thin sheet of Sakura's bed.
"Well I noticed you guys seemed…flirty." Ino tried with a weak lie. Sakura laughed and shook her head.
"It's alright Ino, I know you couldn't."
"So when'd he say he loved you?" Ino questioned in a mounting mix of curiosity and sympathy.
"It was a few days before I found out I was pregnant when he actually said it. But, I wondered if he really meant it-I knew at that point he was struggling with being back in the Leaf so I didn't know if that was his way of convincing himself he should stay or if in his mind he thought it would soften the blow of his departure….Either way, he left." Sakura shrugged with a half smile.
Ino exhaled heavily and ran a slim hand through her bang. "You really feel it's different?"
Sakura nodded at the floor before speaking. "I'm positive, Ino."
After another deep exhale, Ino slapped her hands on her thighs and stood up. "Well you've got a lot of common sense in that big head of yours. I trust your judgment," she smiled down supportively.
Sakura smiled back, recovering from the wave of emotion that washed over her as she recounted the story. "Yeah thanks I guess."
Ino picked up an empty folder on Sakura's desk and examined it with a sly grin.
"So," Ino began. "Is Shunsuke gonna have a sibling anytime soon?" Ino winked lewdly.
Sakura laughed back and shook her head quickly. "What the hell Ino? That's not happening anytime soon."
"Damn, I liked laughing at your fat ass waddling around the village." Ino smirked.
Sakura's head snapped to Ino angrily, but she couldn't contain her laughter at the sight of the bright smile on her friend's face.
"Just get out!" Sakura joked and lightly pushed Ino's arm. Ino shrugged innocently and walked to the doorway.
Stopping at the entry she turned and called over her shoulder. "Remember, if it happens, I called it." She laughed and slid the door closed behind her.
Yeahhhhh I don't think Asumiko's a real name but ah well. I wanted Asuma's name to be in there as much as I could make it. I'm such a snazzy and creative name maker upper haha
Please review! I really appreciate the support =)
See ya soon! xoxoxoxoxo