Itachi used to pride himself on his patience. He was the master of his emotions. But shortly after his bride left to help her friend, he felt himself begin to unravel. Coming home to an empty apartment every day slowly began to eat away at him. He missed seeing Shizako's wide smile, hearing her laughter, and the feel of her arms around him. He tried to busy himself; he certainly had enough work to do. But she was ever present, even in the back of his mind.

After a month he was at his wits end. He couldn't take the solitude any longer. Without even calling ahead, he jumped on the next flight to Berkeley. Perhaps that was a bit foolish but he worried that Kisame would turn him away. Besides, he justified to himself. I'm not going to take her away. I'm only going to visit for a few days. The day long flight was nerve-wracking as he experienced impatience for the first time, that nail-biting tension that wreaks havoc on the mind. Once they arrived, he bolted off the plane and ran out to catch a cab. He didn't bring anything with him, not even a carry-on; such was his frenzied state of mind.

He rattled off the address to the taxi driver and sat back, anxiously tugging on his collar. Why was it suddenly so hard to breathe? Even rolling down the window gave him little relief. Upon arrival he found the wait for the elevator unbearable so he flew up the stairwell to the Hoshigaki's apartment. Once there he knocked on the door…well more like pounded on it. He was exhausted by this point and could wait no longer.

Shizako opened the door and stared open-mouthed at the sight of her disheveled husband. For once she was speechless. Itachi rested against the door frame, completely out of breath. She blinked as she took in his tousled ebony hair, now free flowing down his back. There was color in his cheeks, a soft redness to his normally pale face.

"I-Itachi?" She whispered in concern. She reached out to brush some bangs aside so she could see him better. Her gentle touch sent a spark through him. He couldn't trust himself to words, not when he felt such an overload of emotions. The pure euphoria of seeing her beautiful face could only be topped by one thing. He quickly pulled her in for a passionate kiss. She squeaked in surprise but didn't resist. She too had missed him immensely. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him back. Oh how she loved him!

Kisame looked up from the couch to see the two lovebirds. The scene was so out of place for his normally serious friend. "Couldn't stay away for too long huh?" He teased.

"You have no idea," Itachi whispered as he hugged his wife, holding her tight. The feel of her in his arms made his heart feel whole once again.

Kisame chuckled and shook his head wryly as he turned back to his textbook reading. "I'm just surprised that you didn't come sooner."

Itachi reddened slightly but allowed Shizako to lead him inside. "I hope that I'm not intruding…" he began somewhat formally.

"Don't bother with decorum," Kisame huffed. "Besides, you obviously didn't come to see me," he winked at Shizako and she went a delicate shade of pink.

"I don't want to intrude…" Itachi pressed as he sat across from his friend.

Kisame smirked. "Look don't worry about it. In fact, why don't you take her out for the night?"

"Really?" Itachi asked eagerly.

Shizako hesitated for a moment. "What about Ritsuko? She hasn't been feeling too well today."

He waved off her concern. "Don't worry about it. I'll keep an eye on her."

Itachi reached out for his wife's hand. "Let's go."

She giggled for a moment. Itachi had no idea just how terrible he looked. His hair was a mess of tousled curls, he had a five o'clock shadow, and his clothes were wrinkled. He normally wouldn't be caught dead looking like that in public. But she didn't care, if anything it made him more human. She couldn't get over how his eyes yearned for her. She couldn't refuse such tenderness. She nodded as she took his hand and together they hurried out the door.

Kisame chuckled as he closed the door behind them. Then suddenly an idea struck him and he looked over his shoulder with a conspiring smirk. He tossed his book aside as he made his way to the bedroom. Time to work some long overdue magic.

Ritsuko stirred awake to the sound of music playing softly in the background. She yawned, stretched, and wearily rubbed her sleepy eyes. The room was dimly lit by candles, short and tall, and scattered throughout the room. The bed creaked as Kisame crawled into bed beside her. She smirked at the sight of him in a pair of silk boxers. The flickering light cast shadows on his chiseled figure, making them appear more defined than ever.

"Mmmmhhmmm," she said as she reached out to run her fingers down his chest. He grinned with devious charm as she tugged on his waistband, pulling him in closer. She lifted her chin as his caress on her cheek directed the motion. His lips then hungrily claimed hers. Her tantalizing taste combined with her faint cinnamon scent drove him wild. Her lips moved in perfect harmony to his, like a dance perfectly mastered over time. A possessive growl sounded in his throat as he pulled her in tight against his firm body.

She let out a breathy sigh as he moved on to taste her neck. She arched back into her pillow, exposing its entire length. "K-Kisa…I don't think…" she began to protest but her voice died away as his hand slid up her shirt to tenderly squeeze her breast. Her resistance was weak. He chuckled at that.

"I know I can't satisfy you as hard as I want too," he conceded. He knew that their typical level of sex would definitely be considered strenuous. "But I don't see why we can't just have some fun."

"Is it safe too?" She asked warily as she looked towards the door.

"Yep, the coast is clear," he reassured her.

"Great! Cuz I've really missed my sexy beast!" She let out a wild cheer as she yanked his face up for another passionate kiss. Her ferocity both surprised and enticed him. Oh how he had missed his little spitfire!

Meanwhile across town, Itachi and Shizako settled into a booth at some fast-food restaurant. "Why didn't you call and tell me that you were coming?" She asked.

"I couldn't wait anymore," he confessed. "So I hopped on the quickest flight to California."

"Well I'm glad that you're here," she said as she kissed his cheek.

"Have you been enjoying your visit?" He asked. Then he grimaced. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to imply that you're here for pleasure alone."

Her smile was a bit sad and she looked down at her hands. "It's been a little rough. It's hard to think just how close I came to losing my best friend."

"Is she in pretty bad shape?" He asked sensitively.

She shook her head. "At first…but for the most part she's just sick and tired of being stationary now. She's so restless and it's annoying her to no end."

He flinched. "And how has Kisame been taking it?"

She softened at that. "He's been really sweet to her. Its obvious just how much he loves her."

Itachi wore a fond side smile at that. It's true that Kisame was quite taken with Ritsuko, but he noticed a sense of security that wasn't there before with Kaneko. He was familiar with his friend's dual personality. He could be serious and efficient, a real go-get 'em kinda guy. But he also had a mischievous, competitive, devilish streak. Combined with his tall height and impressive build…others often found him intimidating. He knew that that aspect of his personality had frightened Kaneko. Kisame did his best to reign in his roguish ways, but it didn't always work. And now, with Ritsuko, he had truly met his match. She was every bit as vivacious and volatile as he was. Yes…he was happy for his friend.

His gaze now turned to his wife. He took in her beauty, her warm smile, and the way she leaned in towards him. Her fingers shyly intertwined with his. He brought her hand up and pressed it elegantly to his lips. "I hope you feel just as treasured," he murmured softly. Oh how he loved her faint blush.

"Y-Yes I do," she whispered. But her gaze quickly dropped down to the table.

He leaned in closer to stroke her cheek. "Is something wrong?" She bit her lip nervously. "Please tell me," he urged.

She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. Then she fixed him with a determined stare. "I want to have a baby."

He blinked at the outburst. He saw the longing in her eyes, why hadn't he noticed it before?

"I know that it's sudden and it's not what you want but its something that I really REALLY want!" She said very quickly. "So I was hoping that maybe we could rethink our plan, you know, compromise maybe?"

He just stared at her and she cringed at his silence. He was never one to speak his mind immediately; he always seemed to take in the moment first. Then at last, he spoke. "How long…have you felt this way?" He asked curiously.

"For…uh…a while," she reddened.

"Since the beginning?" He asked. She nodded. He cracked a handsome wry smile. "Then why didn't you say something?"

She shifted nervously. "Because you really seemed keen about our five year plan and it kinda made sense at the time-" He shook his head wryly and she frowned. "But…uh…wait I'm confused." She admitted.

He chuckled softly. "I only said that because I did not wish to pressure you into motherhood."

Now it was her turn to gawk. "So wait…does that mean that you really..?"

"I do…" he said solemnly as he took her face in his hands. He kissed her gently, tenderly. Then he rested his forehead against her. "I wish that…more than anything."

"Awww…" she cooed and leaned in to kiss him again when suddenly her cell phone rang. She quickly apologized as she pulled it out of her pocket. "One second." She flipped it open. "It's a text from Kisame." Then suddenly she went white as a sheet as her hand flew up to her mouth in horror. "Suko's in the hospital! She's about to have the baby!"

"Then let's go," Itachi said firmly, taking her by the hand.