To Love and to Love Again Chapter 23: Their Place
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!
He was unable to take his eyes off her as he watched her sleep beside him.
The dim glow of the morning light meant that it couldn't have been any later than 6:00 am. He wasn't sure if he had ever really gone to sleep. All he knew was that there was never any desire to remain in bed before. But it was different now, he thought as he shifted just slightly to his left, careful that he wouldn't wake her.
She felt incredibly warm. She sighed into the firm heat that enveloped her being. She could hear the familiar sounds of a steady heartbeat. The sound soothed her mind as her other senses began to kick in. She shifted ever so slightly, and a pleasing scent infiltrated her nose. It smelled like rain water and another piquant aroma close to musk. She became more aware of herself and that's when she noticed the familiar position she was in.
She was in his arms. For the first time in years, she wasn't waking up alone. The memories of last night hit her central nervous system like a meteor. She was awake now, but she dare not open her eyes. Instead, she focused on sensing him.
She noticed his strong arm that was weighing down her hip and caressing the bare skin of her lower back with his rough fingers. Her head moved with the steady rise and fall of his chest. Unconsciously her arm, which was slung over him, moved and roamed about his skin.
Agile shoulder blades, pronounced latissimus dorsai muscles, perfectly aligned inter-vertebral disks, and the hot skin that covered them. She felt him shift at the first touch, and as he did so, the faint glow of the early morning light penetrated her eyelids. Slowly, she opened them to meet two onyx orbs.
The light spilled over her eyes as she opened them. Striking emerald green orbs stared back at him. Her lips curved in a smile as she met his stare. Neither one spoke as they just gazed at each other. Finally, his hand began to slide up from her hip, up across her sides to stroke her face, before sliding down her neck. He briefly caressed the marks that he made before sliding down.
His finger hooked around the silver chain and pulled up the circle pendant that was lodged between them. Sakura's eyes watched the pendant as it rested between his fingers. The diamonds that encrusted its surface absorbed the dim morning sunlight and sparkled.
Their eyes met again, and then he moved.
He spent the better part of last night immersed within her and kissing those lips. What better way to start the day than to kiss her again.
She sighed softly as he kissed her. She closed her eyes pulled him closer, wrapping both arms around his neck. Sasuke leaned over her as his arm secured her against him.
Waking up to her felt so natural. How could he go so long without her in his life? Granted, they were both still young, but they lead lives that were beyond their years. They both had important careers, not to mention children old enough to be in school. Yet at the same time, it was their exact circumstances that brought them together, and for that he could not complain.
He pulled her against his torso and brought her up into a sitting position near the edge of the bed, still locked in a kiss. The sheets were haphazardly tangled around and between their otherwise naked bodies.
They broke their lip contact by a few centimeters and lazily gazed at one another. It was during this sudden change in position that she became aware of the slight stiffness in her muscles and the twinge of soreness in her core. It had been more than three whole years since her last intimacy. She was bound to feel something, but it was not bad at all.
"Hi," she whispered as she gently caressed his back with her hands.
"Hn," he smirked. His nose grazed her jaw before moving down to her neck where he began to plant soft kisses along her already marked skin. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back with content from the tingle his lips were making. Last night was so perfect. She didn't want to say or do anything to ruin the time she had with him now.
His hand wove into her hair that was stiff and stringy from the rain water while the other caressed her back. His lips hovered near the center of her chest with her necklace still in place as his eyes scanned the markings from last night. Her delicate skin was out done by the red imprints of his mouth, and he wondered how she was feeling after he finally lost control.
"Are you okay?" he asked quietly with his face still concealed from hers.
Sakura looked down at his midnight locks and brought her hands up into his hair, pulling him back so she could look at him. The sun's rays glimmered off his eyes, showing no other shade in his iris besides the charcoal black she loved. She was at a loss as to how such deceptively dark eyes could hold so much worry and concern for her. She ran her hand along the side of his face and smiled at him.
"How could I not be?" she asked as she gently kissed his forehead. "I woke up…and you were there with me." She kissed him once again, but that did little to ease his guilt. He pulled away from the kiss and held her close.
"You shouldn't trust me so much," he cautioned, looking into her eyes.
Sakura sighed. "Yet I do. I trust that you care about me; enough to kill yourself worrying."
"If I hurt you in any way…" He never intended for them to go so far last night. He wasn't thinking straight. They weren't even prepared in the least bit, and he didn't want to shock her into that knowledge. Not to mention he felt he over did it by all the red marks that marred her skin.
Sakura just chuckled and tightened her arms around his neck. "I'm fine. I'm more than fine. I'm happy." She rested her forehead against his as his arms scanned the planes of her bare back. "Aren't you?" she asked cautiously.
Suddenly she was worried that he didn't have such a great time. Sasuke noticed by her tone and launched his face down to hers, smashing their lips together.
He parted her lips with not so subdued force, trying to make her see he was far from disappointed with her. She welded herself against him, still unsure of herself but unable to tear herself away. She tangled her fingers in his hair, amazed that his locks still felt as silky as ever regardless of the rain water. His hands slid all over her backside, causing goosebumps to surface.
Of all the things she could be thinking, she thought he didn't enjoy himself. Annoying as ever. She sighed as his lips slid across her jaw and over her pulse.
"What do you think…," he asked kissing her neck. "I thoroughly enjoyed myself." He enjoyed the way she sighed in relief at his words. "Looks like I need to keep proving how much I enjoyed it."
He kissed back up to her lips. The increasing passion was suggesting that they would get into another round, but it's been more than enough time for her previous protection to wear off as it was.
"We…can't," she choked, breaking away from the kiss. She groaned, cursing the fact that she couldn't be so intimate again. She held onto his shoulders as she stared at his face. "I mean, I can't. I was prepared last night, but not today."
"Prepared?"
Sakura hesitated and looked down at his chest sheepishly. "When I dropped Sora of at Ino's place, she predicted that this would happen and...slipped a birth control pill into my tea."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. He was surprised alright, but highly relieved at the same time.
"Then she's good for something after all," was his simple reply.
Sakura smiled and leaned her body against his. She didn't want to leave his side. It felt too perfect. She was more than happy to be with him again, but she just couldn't risk it.
"What time is it?" she asked as she kissed the area near his tattoo all the way up to his cheek. Sasuke's tilted his head to the side and glanced at the clock.
"6:10."
Sakura groaned. "Why'd we wake up so soon?" It was then that she remembered that she had to pick up Sora in afternoon, not to mention her father was bound to stop by after his all-nighter at work. What would she say to him if he beat her to it? She groaned again and leaned her forehead against his.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, taking her groan as a sign of pain. Sakura sighed at looked him in the eye.
"It wasn't my first time you know. I'm fine. You should have seen Sora's head when he was born. After that delivery I can conquer anything. Including you," she said kissing him again.
Sasuke grabbed her hips and pushed them back against the bed. He pinned her down and ravaged her mouth with increased fervor. She just challenged him, and he would win.
His hands slid down her chest, slightly grazing her breasts before going down to roughly grab her thigh and swinging it around him. She clutched his hair and kissed even harder than before. The cool morning air did nothing against their increasing body heat. She moaned when his arousal began pressing against her. How could she stop when she wanted it so badly?
The bed sheets tangled even more around them as they both fought for control over one another. Sasuke's hands found her breast and slowly began to massage her soft mound until her own hand stopped him.
"I want to…so much…but…" She was having a hard time controlling her breathing. Sasuke's face fell into her chest. He planted a hard kiss on her torso before sighing and hoisting her up once more and into his arms. She yelped as he swiftly got out of bed, letting the sheets drop off of them and walked with her into his bathroom.
"What are you doing?" she squealed as he walked towards the opaque shaded glass shower stall. He quickly opened the door and turned the shower head on, releasing warm water and steam. Without warning, he placed her in the shower stall and closed the door. She yelped when the warm water doused her bite marks and scratches, before numbing out.
"We need space if we want to stop the second time around." He leaned against the door, knowing that a tempting opportunity with her was only a glass door away. "Shower here. I'll go to the other one," he said before quickly walking away.
Sakura was left in the shower, thankful that he found the strength to break away. She had no resolve left over.
She looked around the spacious shower stall and saw nothing above the average materials: a bar of clean soap, a razor, and an ordinary bottle of men's shampoo with no conditioner. She touched her marked chest and realized that she still wore her necklace. She carefully unhooked it and placed it near the soap rack. She picked up the bottles of shampoo and wondered how Sasuke had such fantastic hair with such ordinary hair care products.
"Must be genetics," she mumbled while popping open the cap and squeezing some shampoo into her palm. Sasuke's mother had beautiful hair and she no doubt passed that onto her son. She began washing her hair and working out all the kinks in her muscles as the hot water soothed away the evidence of last night. She spent the next few minutes washing her body before rinsing off and stepping out of the shower.
She grabbed the nearest towel and wrapped it around her body before she thought of something else. What would she wear? She looked around the bathroom and found one of Sasuke's business shirts hanging near the towels. It was better than nothing, and such a post-coital thing to do in her opinion.
She threw the towel to the side and slid into his large shirt. Her damp hair hung loosely around her face as she stared into the mirror. His shirt made her looks smaller than she really was, but she liked the way she looked in it. It made her feel more in place so to speak. Then she went back into his room.
She walked around in search of her clothing. She spotted something red along the side of the bed and went to go pick it up. She held up the remains of her torn panties. She blushed when she recalled the moment he had ripped those right off in his haste. She would have to wear less delicate underwear around him from now on. She blushed again at her thought process of future sex with Sasuke. Clearly she couldn't resist him anymore.
She spotted her bra and leggings not far from the panties. The bra was hooked on the back, and torn at the cups. Now she couldn't use that one anymore either.
Sasuke was still showering, so she decided to go and fish for the rest of her clothing. She held the shirt against her and walked out into the hall. It was strange being so familiar with his house now. From the top of the stairs, she could see his shirt on the banister and her two shreds of a shirt at the base.
Seriously, that was an entire outfit that is now torn to shreds. She had a feeling she wouldn't ever get to wear that ensemble again too. She walked down the stairs and picked up her destroyed shirt. Every article of clothing she had worn when she arrived here was now unusable. Just what would she wear when she had to leave?
But when she really thought about it, she realized that it must have taken a good amount of force to tear a bra. Those are usually made to last with tough fibers and wires. For him simply yank it off her with his teeth…
She shuddered when she recalled that moment. He was strong, with excellent muscle control.
Her stomach growled interrupting her wardrobe dilemma. You can't think on an empty stomach. She glanced back up the stairs and wondered how much longer he would be in the shower. She didn't even know which shower he was using. He had four bathrooms.
"I'll make something for him," she decided.
She walked into the kitchen and left her clothes in a pile on the counter. She then went over to the refrigerator to see what she could make. She opened the door and immediately spotted his beloved tomatoes. She picked one up and gave the plump red fruit a gentle squeeze. Sora and Suki's little faces came to mind. She smiled as she remembered their first dinner together. That was the night Sasuke told Sora that tomatoes make you stronger. Ever since then, Sora's been in love with them.
She grabbed one more tomato along with a few eggs and greens and closed the fridge. She figured a simple omelet would be a good source of protein and it was easy to make. She gathered some bowls and a pan and began cracking some eggs.
Sasuke hung up and tossed his cellphone to the side. After he showered, he received a call from one of his long time trusted family business partners in regards to some things he bought. It took longer than he thought. He walked out into the hall and went downstairs, only to smell something good cooking in the kitchen. He made his way over and stopped at the entrance when he saw her with her back to him. She was chopping some tomatoes on the cutting board as something simmered on the stove top.
He stared at her, and found the sudden lust return as he gazed at her from the bottom up. She was wearing his shirt and her milky legs were bare and exposed for his eyes to feast on as his shirt ended tantalizingly just below the curve of her bottom. He could see her shoulder blades move with every slice of the knife as she prepared their breakfast, unaware of his predatory gaze. He knew there was nothing on underneath that shirt. He had done well with destroying everything she wore the other night.
She looked as though she was perfectly in her place in his house. She belonged here with him. He watched as she unconsciously scratched the back of her leg with her other foot. Then he saw her take a small piece of something lusciously red and place it in her mouth. Tomatoes…she was calling him.
Sakura chewed on the ripened tomato as she began chopping another one. The eggs were beginning to set and soon she would add the rest of the veggies. She hoped Sasuke would enjoy her omelets with extra tomatoes. She was so lost in her thoughts of him that she gasped in shock when his arms suddenly snaked their way around her.
Her breath caught in her throat and she stopped cutting when his lips lingered near her ear and whispered.
"Keep cutting."
"I…," she couldn't even get the words out.
Her hands, which were frozen on the half cut tomato and knife, began to move with great difficulty. She was too focused on his hard abs against her back and his hot breath fanning out on her neck. His arms covered her own as he began to guide her movements, chopping the tomatoes in slow, sensual strokes.
Her breathing quickened with each cut and her body temperature rose. She could feel every bulge and depression of his solid rectus abdominals and pectorals. His biceps and triceps flexed as he moved with her. Her body began reacting. He was so close, and she wanted him to be closer. She wanted him again.
"…S-Sasuke…," she breathed.
Sasuke could detect a hint of tomato from her ragged breathing.
They finished chopping the tomato, and Sasuke stabbed a chunk with the tip of the knife and brought it up to her mouth. She stared hazily at the juicy piece as he carefully traced the fleshy portion over her lips, coating them with the juice before offering it into her mouth. She quickly chewed on the piece before he dropped the knife, roughly turned her around and kissed her hard. She wound her arms tightly around his neck as he ravaged her.
Sasuke savored the flavor of tomatoes mixed with her own essence. He pushed her back against the island countertop. She moaned as his tongue hungrily wandered around with her own, absorbing every speck of tomato there was.
"…Eggs…will…burn," she said between kisses. Sasuke simply grabbed the pans handle and flipped the entire omelet over before setting it back down. That gave him another minute or two with her. He continued to kiss her harder and deeper, crushing her body against him. His hands grazed her thighs and slid up, clutching her hips and hoisting her up onto the counter.
She was surprised at her awakened need to just have him close to her. It had only been a few months since their first meeting, yet it seemed like they had known each other for years. Upon moving to this city, she never imagined that she would be here now in her boss's home, wearing his shirt and nothing more while kissing him senseless on the counter after a night of lovemaking.
Never say never.
"This isn't good," she said when Sasuke's lips moved down to her neck. "You know I can't stop." Sasuke massaged her outer thighs and hips as he continued to roam her neck and chest. That's when he noticed her necklace was missing.
"Where's the necklace?" he asked grazing her chest with the tip of his nose. She thought about it for a second before realizing that she left it in the shower.
"Must have left it in the shower." She used her fingers and gently pulled his head away so she could look into his eyes. She chuckled when she saw his slightly disgruntled expression. He continued to grasp her hips and massage them in slow circular motions. He just wanted to be as close to her as possible.
"You're not helping me be good," she chided as she leaned her forehead against his.
Sasuke stole a quick kiss from her lips as the smell of well-done eggs and tomatoes infiltrated his senses. She smiled and hopped off the counter. Sasuke kept his hands on her hips at all times as she slid the omelet off the pan and onto a plate. He hovered behind her possessively as she added more chopped ingredients onto the hot omelets and poured two cups of juice into a couple of glasses.
"Hope you like omelets." She turned with the plate in front of her and held it up for him to see.
He eyed the red chunks of tomatoes cooked right in. For a simple omelet, it smelled amazing. Sakura cut a piece off with a fork and brought it up to his mouth. For whatever reason, she felt like she needed to feed him. Sasuke didn't object and took the large piece into his mouth. It tasted just as good as it looked. She took his smirk as a sign of approval and began to cut another piece. Sasuke took the fork from her and offered her the piece this time. She smiled and ate it along with him.
This was quite intimate, even for them. She never imagined him to be the lovely-dovey type, yet here they were. It was a bit out of character, or so she thought.
"Omelets are a good source of protein," she said after a moment. "Not that you need it. You're stronger than I thought."
Sasuke looked at her questioningly as he continued to devour his breakfast.
"Meaning?"
"Well, you destroyed all of my clothes…with your teeth," she reminded earning her a smug look from him. "What am I going to wear when I leave?"
Sasuke thought about that. He couldn't resist the smirk when he recalled the hasty moments where he ripped her clothing to shreds. It was extremely satisfying on his part. But then there was the other thing she said that didn't sit well with him. When she left…
"You can wear one of my mother's dresses home. She keeps a few of her things here," he offered putting the plate aside. She gave him the glass full of juice and drank with him.
"That's good. At least I wouldn't have to pick up Sora dressed like you," she chuckled.
It was then that Sasuke remembered some things he needed to clear up at work. Karin's arrival was constantly floating around the back of his head. He didn't trust that woman's intentions with anything. Now that she assumed Sasuke had a family, it couldn't be good. He needed to do more background investigating on her before he took more security measures for Sakura and the children.
The look in Karin's eyes when she saw Sakura's picture was lethal.
Her jealousy knew no boundaries. Not that she had any right to be jealous. Exactly why she thought she had any claims on him was beyond his reasoning.
"I need to go back to work."
Sakura's eyes dropped. "Right now?"
Sasuke noted the disappointment in her voice and he liked it. He tilted her chin up and pressed a kiss onto her lips. "I'll go when you pick up Sora. I won't be able to get Suki until later. She'll stay with Akira for a while longer."
Sakura sighed with relief and wrapped her arms around him. "Good," she hummed before kissing his exposed shoulder. "I'm not quite ready to leave you yet," she admitted making him smirk.
He once again hoisted her up onto the island counter and began ravaging her mouth with desire. How long would he have to wait to be alone with her again? He wanted her with him at all times. His desire was only growing as the seconds passed, but he had to remain in control of himself. They still weren't safe, in more ways the one.
"I'll work on…getting… the pill," she said between kisses. Sasuke growled at the promise of more sex, making his lust for her intensify and his kisses stronger. Sakura chuckled as she took the impact of his fierce affection. She needed those birth control pills fast. The only problem was who she needed to ask to prescribe them to her.
She could only think of one person and she was dreading the look on Tsunade's face when she asked her mentor for pregnancy protection. But it was for Sasuke and she would do it for him.
Shikamaru opened the door. Kiba and his son Jun, along with Akamaru stood outside.
"Hi Mr. Nara," Jun greeted as he held onto Akamaru with a leash. Shikamaru didn't think the boy could restrain a dog that was three times his size.
"Hey kid. Everyone's inside."
Jun and Akamaru scurried on inside while Kiba remained outside.
"How's it going?" Kiba asked. Shikamaru closed the door behind him and stepped out onto the porch. He leaned against the railing and brought out a smoke before lighting it up. Kiba scrunched his nose at the scent.
"Sorry. Can't do it with the kids inside," he said knowing that Kiba's nose was just as sensitive as a dog, but he couldn't help it.
Kiba could hear the kids playing in the living room. He leaned against the railing, watching the cars go by on the street. "How's the case?" he asked.
Shikamaru blew out a puff of smoke before answering. "Not much to do until I get Tsunade's analysis. I just don't see the connection or its relevance right now. All I can think of is that Kakashi's guilt hasn't resided yet."
"Can't really blame the guy though. Kakashi nearly destroyed himself with rage when hebegan seeing her.That was out of line for an Agent but I can't blame himeither. Sakura is one fine woman," Kiba said matter-of-factly. "A guy would be an idiot not to fall for her," he added.
Shikamaru looked at Kiba questioningly.
"What? I'm just saying she's a good one," he defended. "Nothing wrong with the truth. I'm happily married, but I still have an opinion on other people. Sakura never did notice when people fell for her."
"She seems to notice a certain person's affections now," Shikamaru pointed out.
"I know. I can feel Sasuke's killing intent sometimes. Never knew he could be so possessive," Kiba snickered. "It'll be interesting to see where this goes. In the meantime, I'm going to try not to provoke him too much," he said before walking down the steps and back to his car.
Shikamaru put out his cigarette and walked back into the house.
He sat down in his favorite recliner and leaned back while pulling out his laptop and opened it up. The background was a picture of Ino and the twins. Troublesome woman insisted that he keep it on there as a do-not-smoke aid.
He placed each of his ten fingers on a certain key and pressed down. That broke the standard computer setting and shifted into the high tech data files. He pulled up his latest project and began working. Since the break-in at Sakura's house wasn't his station, he decided to work on the other assignments he was given.
The one at the top of the list was the cold case involving Sai. Itachi had sent him all the old case files along with pictures of the supposed crime scene and lab results. The one thing he was not able to obtain was the actual pictures of the cadaver, since none were taken.
He began going through the reports, when a sudden fit of giggles caught his attention. He looked beyond his laptop to see Akira and Suki standing before him, dressed in flowery too-toos.
"Watch us practice Daddy" Akira said as she and Suki began twirling before him. Shikamaru sighed and saved his work. The girls played out their routine while he watched with as much of an interested face as he could muster. His eyes wandered around the room, and that's when he noticed Sora and Akio at couch watching anime. Today there just happened to be a marathon of their favorite ninja show on TV, which meant the boys would pretty much be glued to it all day.
His eyes zeroed in on Sora. The kid was interesting in his own way. He could tell just based of his genetics that he was full of potential both physically and mentally. He clicked onto the files once more and pulled up all of Sai's case files again.
"Daddy, you're not watching!" Akira scolded.
He looked down at his little blonde haired daughter who was standing with her feet apart and her little fists on her hips with all the attitude a five-year-old could muster. It was frightening just how much she resembled her mother at that moment. He pitied the poor fool that would one day marry mini-Ino.
"Sorry princess, Daddy's got a lot of work to do," he muttered making her huff and walked away with Suki in tow.
He sighed. If she was this demanding as a child, he could only imagine her teen years. A message alert popped up on the screen with an insignia of a slug imprinted on it. It was a message from Tsunade. Shikamaru clicked it open and discovered that it was her reports on the blood stains of the intruder. He briefly scanned its contents before he read the message about a brief meeting regarding Sai's cold case.
Ino shuffled in by his side and sat down on the arm of the big cushy chair.
"You have a message."
Shikamaru glanced at his wife with his usual bored expression, but nodded. He closed the laptop and got up from his chair, following her upstairs into their bedroom. Ino sat in front of her large oval vanity mirror while Shikamaru locked the door. He went over to his Shougi board and waited for Ino.
She opened the top drawer of her vanity table and pushed a hidden button that turned her mirror into a computer monitor mode. A keyboard slid forward from the same compartment.
A scroll like object popped up in the center of the screen with Tsunade's emblem imprinted on it. Ino opened up the file and an array of documents appeared on the screen.
"Blood Analysis and Genetic Profiling," she read as she skimmed through the documents. "That's weird."
Shikamaru stood behind her and looked over the documents himself. "Not if we're trying to catch a potential killer. I'll forward this to Shino. He's the one that did the original blood extraction. But I can already tell it's going to get messy."
"How? You didn't even read any of it," Ino pointed out. Shikamaru pointed at the screen to the diagram of the DNA strand.
"We have one piece of DNA and Tsunade just sent us profiling information. All we need now is something to compare it too, which I don't have at the moment. Shino's going to have to look at it and run it through the system for a match," he said before forwarding the files to Shino's invoice. Now all they had to do was wait for the results of his analysis.
Shino was observing the experimental chamber which currently held the fresh cut carcass of a cow. A large pool of blood surrounded the remains. He pushed a few buttons and a small container filled with genetically enhanced army ants appeared. These ants were three times the size of a normal ant. As soon as the container lifted, the ants swarmed the bloody carcass and began to devour it. Within one minute, the cow was nothing but degraded bones. Even the blood pool was cleaned up.
These were going in the record books. A beeping noise caught his attention from the gruesome scene.
Shino looked at the message on his computer screen and saw a message from Shikamaru. He opened the files and read through them.
He began processing the info before running the profile he received along with the genetic information that Tsunade had given him. He let the computer scan and went back to his work on the tracker beetles he was also working with.
He was particularly peeved with a species of insect known as the Bikochu. It was a tracking beetle that stays near the first scent it is exposed too. Highly useful, but now utterly useless since the first scent it was exposed to was Naruto's bowel gas. Now the beetle wouldn't go near anyone expect him, making it useless. Naruto was forbidden to come down into the lab area after that incident.
Shino tried everything to get the beetle to follow other scents, but to no avail. The beeping of the lab results snapped him out of his frustrations. He went over to the screen and displayed the results.
"What?" he gasped.
The results on the screen both confused and startled him. He actually took a step back in shock. This couldn't be real. He read the results over and over again, piecing the clues together. This was just too much. Surely there must have been some mistake. Tsunade's results must have been flawed. Kakashi would be all over his lab if he didn't verify for sure.
The pictures on the screen were extremely unsettling, even for him. He had to be sure. He double checked the paper work, and re-ran the tests. The results were the same. He needed to inform them, and it wouldn't be pleasant.
After going home to change back into her own clothing, which consisted of a full sleeved turtle neck shirt and jeans along with her new necklace, she got back into her car and drove over to Ino's house. It quite a struggle getting away from Sasuke when he got that excited, but they managed when she mentioned the kids.
She smiled when she thought of their cute little faces. She was a mother through and through and she couldn't wait to see Sora and Suki. It was funny how life seemed to mesh their lives together. She drove for ten minutes, all the while thinking of how her life had taken a dramatic turn for the better. She managed to find a man that somehow filled the empty void in her heart, and a little girl that won her over as the daughter she never had.
She was almost afraid that things were going too well, that life was not meant to be so good for her. She could only pray that that was not the case as she pulled into the driveway. Life couldn't be that cruel to one person. But she didn't want to tempt fate.
She couldn't stop thinking about Sasuke. He was in her every thought…and it scared her.
"Sora, over here," shouted Jun. Sora kicked the ball in Jun's direction and then ran after it.
They had been kicking the ball around for a while now. Akio actually participated in this event. The girls had been playing around them doing their dancing thing, while Akamaru ran alongside the boys.
"Pass it back," Sora shouted. Jun kicked the ball back and Sora gave it a karate kick, causing the ball to go flying and hitting Suki in the back. She fell to her knees in the process. Sora ran over to get the ball.
"Sorry Suki" he said when he reached for the ball. Suki groaned and shuffled to her feet. She had her hands around her belly and she looked funny. "Are you okay Suki?"
Suki shook her head and looked at the ground. Akira came and stood next to her. She placed her hand over Suki's forehead. "I think she's sick. I'm going to go tell Mommy," Akira said before turning around and running over to the house.
It was then that Sakura pulled into the driveway and went around back to the yard. She opened the gate and walked over. She saw the kids, along with Kiba's son Jun, huddled around each other. Akamaru was also there and nuzzling Suki with his nose. Then he spotted her and ran right over. Sakura pet his head and Sora looked up to see her.
"Hi Mommy," He greeted as he approached her. She smiled. She was afraid that seeing her boy after the night she had had would be strange, but it was anything but. She missed him.
"Hi sweetie." She hugged him close and kissed his cheek. "Did you have fun?"
"Uh huh." Sakura looked back to see Suki slowly walking towards them. Immediately, she noticed that she didn't look so good. Suki looked a bit pale while her cheeks and nose tinted pinkish.
Sakura stood up and rushed over to her. "Suki?" she asked as she knelt down. "Are you okay?" She placed her hand over her forehead and gasped. Suki was burning up. Sakura picked her up and hugged her close.
"I don't feel good Aunty Sakura," she groaned as she wrapped her arms around her neck. "My tummy hurts." Sakura brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead.
"Oh it's okay sweetie. You probably have the flu," she supposed while running her fingers through her hair. "Come on, let's get you home and into bed." She kissed her forehead once more and walked back to the house. The rest of the kids remained outside with the dog.
Akira bounced around the kitchen as Ino watched Sakura walking over with Suki from the window. The blonde smirked and knew from the way she walked that ithad happened, and praised her quick thinking with the birth control.
"She so got laid," she thought before Sakura and Suki walked in.
"Heeeeeeeey Sakura" she crooned. Sakura didn't like the look she was giving her. Ino knew. She didn't even have to confirm it. "I just got the news. Still not feeling to great Suki?" she asked as she came and patted her head. Suki just shook her head and groaned.
"Still?"
"She's been feeling a little down for the past hour," Ino explained. "She didn't want to stay inside so I figured a little air would do her some good."
Sakura adjusted Suki in her arms. "She has a fever, maybe even the flu. Has she eaten anything today?"
Ino shook her head. "We ordered a pizza, but Suki didn't really finish her slice and she loves pizza. I gave her some juice, but she's been down ever since."
Sakura sighed. "Well Sasuke said he wouldn't be able to get her until later, so I'll just take her home with me. She needs some flu meds and I've got some on hand. It's best to get her in bed as soon as possible."
Ino nodded. "Alright, I'll let Sasuke know. Do you think any of the other kids might get it?"
"Probably not but just to be safe, make sure they drink lots of fluids to flush out any of the virus that may be working in there. Juices, soups and all that," Sakura listed. "If they do end up getting the flu, it's best to get it out of their system now before school starts. In the meantime, we're going home." She shifted Suki in her arms again and kissing her cheek. She helped Suki put her sweater on as Sora went to get his own jacket and sketchpad.
Ino smiled. Sakura had practically become Suki's mother without even realizing it. It was all too perfect. Now all Sasuke and Sakura had to do was get out of their comfort zone, get married and everything would be set. Ino would never understand how a man as sinfully handsome as Sasuke could be without a wife or at least a relationship. She supposed life just made him wait for the right one.
"Alright," said Sakura as Sora came back with his things. "We'll be going. Call me if the twins get sick. You might want to consider the flu shot for both of them. Ages one through five are the high risk age group for the flu."
Ino nodded. "Alright. Go home and we'll talk later," she said cryptically.
Sakura sighed. "Friggin Ino."
Sakura saw that her father's car was parked outside the building. She was dreading the moment where she'd have to face him. She felt like she had a giant sign of her forehead that said "I slept with Sasuke" in flashy letters. She was almost glad that she had Suki to worry about to get her mind off things. Somehow, her father always seemed to know things he shouldn't.
Sora hopped out of the car and waited for Sakura to get Suki, who had managed to doze off on the ride. Sakura carefully picked her up and carried her to their front door. She rang the doorbell since she couldn't fish for her keys and waited until her father opened it with a surprised look on his face.
"Hi Daddy," Sakura greeted as she, Suki and Sora stepped into the house. Kakashi closed the door behind them as Pakkun and a few of the other dogs came to greet them.
"Hi yourself. Where were you? I thought you didn't have work yesterday," he said watching her place her stuff on the couch and carry Suki upstairs.
"I didn't. I had to go pick up the kids from their sleepover," she answered over her shoulder and then went up before he could respond. Kakashi turned to Sora.
"What's Suki doing here?"
Sora took his shoes off and placed his coat on the couch as the dogs wagged their tails excitedly at his arrival. "She's sick, so Mommy said she has to come here for some medicine until her daddy can pick her up."
Kakashi glanced at the stairs and nodded. Suddenly Suki became top concern for him. Then, an idea popped came to mind, which didn't surprise him because that little Uchiha girl was a blast from the past. He turned back to Sora and knelt down.
"I know what we can do to make her feel better. You're the man of the house now so you have to learn how to do this. Come on into the kitchen."
Sora was sold after the man of the house part and eagerly followed his grandfather into the kitchen. Meanwhile upstairs, Sakura got Suki ready for bed.
She carried Suki up to Sora's room and placed her in his racecar bed. Suki woke up when Sakura tried to remove her jacket and shoes and changed her into a pair of Sora's jammies.
"Here we go sweetie," she said as she laid Suki down. She was expecting her to worsen in a few hours. The influenza virus was a real bitch this time of year and now poor Suki has to suffer through it.
"Aunty Sakura," she groaned sleepily. "Where's Daddy?" Sakura placed the covers over her and tucked in her sides.
"He'll be here soon. He just has to finish his work and then he'll come here to see you. Just rest for now okay?" she said while patting her head. "I'm going to make you some soup and bring you some medicine to make you all better. Does your tummy still feel bad?" Suki nodded and Sakura made a mental note to bring a bucket in case she wanted to throw up.
She kissed her cheeks one more time and went downstairs.
When she got there, she was surprised to see her father in the kitchen with Sora. The two of them hovered over the stove suspiciously with Sora standing on a high chair, as a familiar smell hit her nose.
"What are you two doing?" she asked as she approached them. She hugged Sora from behind and kissed his head. She knew what that smell was now. Sora looked back from his spot on the chair with an adorable grimace of his face. He looked close to throwing up as well.
"Grandpa's making something yucky," he said with his nose scrunched up. "And he said I have to learn how to make it."
Kakashi sweat dropped as he continued to make whatever it was that he was making. "Now now, it only smells yucky to you because you're not sick. This is a special soup I make to cure anything," he explained as he added what looked like dried sardines and chopped daikon into it.
Sakura tried to smile through the smell. "You're making 'get better' soup. You haven't made that for me in forever."
Kakashi smiled and continued to stir the soup. Sakura watched as Sora's facial expressions became more and more disgusted before he gave up and ran into the living room. Sakura chuckled.
"Looks like he's not going to be learning how to make this," Kakashi sighed. He noticed the high collar top Sakura was wearing, but decided to focus on the soup and lowered the heat. "How's Suki?" he asked.
Sakura sighed herself and went to make some coffee.
"Poor baby has the flu," she said as she went through the cabinets looking for her coffee ingredients. "Now I have to make sure Sora's full of liquids so he can flush it out if he's got it. They were together all day anyway. Sasuke had some work to do back at the hospital so I decided to bring Suki here and give her some medication until he comes back, although it's probably best if she stay here overnight. It's going to get worse before it gets better. When did you get here anyway?" she asked as she filled the coffee pot.
"About an hour ago. Work took longer than I expected," he muttered as he observed her from his peripheral vision. His eyes narrowed. Something was different about her, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. What was it?
"Oh. New case? I've been hearing more and more about those people disappearing in the news and it creeps me out. Has it been bad back home?"
"Well it's definitely a problem nationwide," he replied. "The problem is that we haven't actually found any…remains. Because of that, we can't really rule out a serial killer until someone has been found. But it's people of all ages so that makes it harder."
"Those poor families," she said sadly. "I can't imagine the pain they're feeling. If I ever lost Sora or Suki like that, I'd be insane."
Kakashi stilled. Clearly she didn't notice what she just said, but he certainly did: Sora…or Suki. It was then that he began to put that feeling he had together.
Sakura seemed much more at peace with herself. The way she walked, the way she moved, the way she dressed, and the fact that she probably wasn't home recently. She was also sporting a diamond circle pendant that he had never seen before. His insides began to burn. He didn't want to go there. It was the last thing he wanted to consider, but it was the only one that made sense.
Sakura looked back at Sora, who was drawing at the table, and went the fridge. She pulled out juice box and handed it to him.
"Drink lots of fluids so that you don't get sick too," she told him. She looked at his face worriedly. He was a bit pale and clammy. She didn't know whether the flu virus was taking affect, or if it was the smell of the soup. He seemed fine on the way here. "Do you feel sick Sora?"
Sora shook his head and glared at the kitchen.
Sakura raised an eyebrow at the gesture. He looked just like Sasuke after Naruto had said something stupid. Perhaps he had been spending too much time with Sasuke lately.
"It's the yucky soup. It stinks," he said covering up his nose with his arm. Sakura sighed and went to the balcony door and cracked it open a bit. Cool air flowed through the crack, alleviating the odor somewhat. Sakura glanced at the dogs that were dutifully spread throughout the living room, toughing out the smell. They were probably fighting not to run over to the fresh air.
"I know, but it's for Suki. We have to give her things that will make her feel better," she said as her cell phone rang. She checked the caller ID and saw that it was Sasuke. "Go check on Suki will you?" she asked Sora. He nodded and left his sketchpad on the table before going upstairs.
"Hello?" She tried to fight the blush. She didn't know why she was blushing, but she couldn't help it. It's not like he could see her.
"Sakura how is she?" he asked urgently. She heard the sound of an engine and figured he was driving over here.
"She's resting right now. I'm making her some soup. It's probably best if she stays here overnight so I can keep an eye on her. It's the Influenza Virus, but it's going to get worse before it gets better."
Sasuke sighed. "Alright, I'm coming over."
"Do you think you could bring some of her clothes, her toothbrush and her stuffed piggy over? She needs a bath and I'm sure she'll want Tonton with her." She couldn't see Sasuke smirk on the other end.
"Alright. I'll be there soon."
"Okay…bye," she said before hanging up. She put the phone back on the coffee table and turned to go back into the kitchen, when she nearly collided with her father's chest. Sakura jumped a bit and Kakashi had to steady her with his arm.
"…Yes Daddy?" she asked, unable to look him in the eye. Kakashi noticed this.
"Is he coming over?"
Sakura released her arm from his grasp.
"Yes he is. I need to give Suki a bath and medication. He'll be bringing over some clothes and comfort items for her," she said trying to make it sound like a business transaction. Now she really felt like she had a sign on her forehead advertising her rendezvous with Sasuke.
"Mommyyyyyyy Suki threw up on the floor," Sora shouted from the top of the stairs. Sakura quickly left her father's side and grabbed the nearest large bucket from under the sink before bolting upstairs.
"I'm coming sweetie," she shouted while climbing the stairs. Kakashi sighed once she was out of sight.
She was avoiding him, which pretty much confirmed his suspicions. She was being intimate with Sasuke Uchiha. Pakkun shuffled over to his side and looked up expectantly at his master, waiting for orders. Kakashi sighed and bent down to pet his head.
"It's beyond you're help now," he said forlornly. Perhaps it was time that he gave Sakura her space. His phone vibrated and he checked the caller ID. It was Anko.
"Haven't heard from you in a while," he said forgoing a greeting.
"That's because some of us were working on actual projects," Anko replied. "Anyway, I'm here in Tokyo. Some information has come up, and it needs to be addressed immediately. It's about the DNA analysis. You have to come now."
"I'll be there in ten minutes," he said before hanging up. Sora came down the stairs as he placed the phone in his pocket and moved to grab his coat. He stopped at the middle of the stairs and watched his grandfather get ready to go.
"You're leaving Grandpa?" he asked before he hurriedly rushed down the stairs and stood before Kakashi. Sora didn't want him to leave. He liked having his grandfather around.
Kakashi bent down to his level and ruffled his hair. "Sorry Ninja Man, but I've got some work to do for the police. Crime fighting never stops."
Sora tried to be strong and not pout. "I'll be back tomorrow." Sora nodded before lunging at his grandfather and hugging him. Kakashi held his grandson close. "Take care of Mommy while I'm gone."
"I will," Sora promised. Kakashi stood and went over to the door, only to find Sasuke standing outside with a little pink bag in his hand.
"Sasuke."
"Commander."
They stood facing each other for about thirty seconds before Kakashi simply walked past him and over to his car. Sasuke stepped into the house and closed the door behind him.
"Mommy's upstairs with Suki," Sora told him. Sasuke ruffled his hair as he walked over to the stairs.
"Good. Have you been practicing?"
Sora nodded enthusiastically. "Lee Sensei says that I going to get my purple belt next."
Sasuke smirked. "I know you will. Give these to Mommy," he said while handing the bag to Sora, who immediately took it upstairs. As soon as he left, Sasuke pulled out his watch and decided to test out his latest investment.
He flipped the dial and watched as the GPS coordinates on the screen matched where they should have been: upstairs in the bathroom. He knew Sakura would like the necklace.
"Daddy's here," Sakura said as she prepared Suki for a bubble bath. Sora had given her the bag with all of her necessities and went back downstairs to be with Sasuke. Suki smiled a little at her father's name.
Sakura placed the old jammies in the hamper and put Suki in the warm water and grabbed a scrubby body washer. She took a small container filled with light green power and placed a small spoonful into the tub. The water began to release the smell of eucalyptus leaves. Sakura liked this bath salt whenever she felt sore and she used it whenever Sora was achy to help him relax. She grabbed Sora's kiddie body wash that was tear-free due to too many incidents with burning eyes in the past, and soaked the scrubby before washing her body. Suki managed to take a nap earlier and Sakura wanted to give her a good bath to get rid of the sweat.
She gently scrubbed her body for a minute or two while Suki played with the bubbles. She giggled a bit when the scrubby went under her little feet.
"Are you hungry now Suki?" Sakura asked as she shampooed her hair. "You didn't really eat much today." Suki nodded as Sakura massaged her head with her fingers.
"A little bit."
Sakura smiled and rinsed her hair clean. She continued to rise off her body and grabbed a towel. She placed both ends in her hands and used them to lift Suki out of the tub and cover her in the towel without dripping.
"Well that's good because Sora and his grandpa are making you a special soup for when you're sick. My daddy used to make it for me all the time."
"Is it tomato soup?"
Sakura sat on the edge of the tub as she toweled her off and dressed her in her white fleecy pajamas with small pink flower patterns on the bottoms.
"Well it has tomatoes in it," she replied, not wanting to get into the details of its contents. "But it'll make you all better."
Sakura combed her hair back into a little high pony tail that made Suki's short hair spike a bit at the ends. Her cheeks were tinted pink from the warm bath and she felt fresh. Even when she was sick, she was precious. Sakura grabbed the comfort blanket and wrapped it around Suki and picked her up.
"Now let's go see what the boys are up to," she suggested while kissing her cheek and climbing down the stairs.
He heard footsteps on the stairs and turned to see Sakura and a freshly bathed Suki come down. Suki saw him and held out her arms as Sasuke quickly came to her side. He took Suki and held her close while keeping her wrapped in the blanket.
"Daddy," she mumbled as she rested her face on his shoulder. Sasuke kissed the top of her head and patted her back.
"Hi Tenshi. How do you feel?" he asked. Suki just muttered something incoherently as she rested in her father's protective arms.
Sasuke moved to the couch where Sora was drawing nearby and sat down behind him. Sora glanced back at them and shuffled through his drawings and pulled one out. He got up and handed it to Sasuke, who smirked when he saw it.
"Look at this Tenshi."
Suki turned to look at the drawing and cracked a smile. Sora had drawn a talking tomato that said "Get Well Suki" on it. Sasuke kissed her forehead just as Sakura came in with a small steaming bowl of something sinister. It did not look like any kind of soup he ever ate.
"How about some soup?" she asked while spinning the spoon around the mixture. She brought a small spoonful towards Suki's mouth. Suki opened and took in the spoonful and swallowed. She couldn't really taste anything, but the warm soup felt good and eased the ache and nausea in her tummy. She rested her bead back against Sasuke's chest as Sakura fed her more. She also took occasional sips from a juice box.
Sasuke gently stroked her hair as Sakura continued to feed her small spoonfuls of soup. Sora had chosen to eat his dinner at the far end of the couch by the TV. He didn't like the soup and grimaced every time Suki took a sip of it. It was just yucky. The sounds of his ninja anime echoed through the living room. Occasionally Sasuke took a glance at the channel and was intrigued by the show.
For an anime, it was pretty accurate on the ways of a ninja. The main character of the show reminded him of the Dobe for some strange reason. Both were loud mouthed idiots. He thought the dark prodigy character that seemed to be the loud mouths rival was admirable though. Suki coughing snapped his thoughts back to her.
Sakura wiped her mouth with a napkin and put the half-finished soup bowl on the coffee table. She got up and went into the kitchen and came back with a pink bottle of medicine and a plastic dosage cup along with a glass of water.
"This is just some medicine to make you feel better," she explained as she unscrewed the lid and poured the thick pink syrup into the cup and held it up to Suki's lips.
Sasuke sat her up as she sipped at the medicine. Suki could barely taste the yuckiness, but she knew it was there. The fact that it was pink medicine also intrigued her somewhat. Sakura let her sip some of the water to wash it out of her mouth.
"Sora it's time for bed," she said while glancing over at him. Sora pouted.
"But I'm not tired," he whined, even though he had been suppressing yawns for the past ten minutes. Sakura knew he was worn out. She put the medicine away and took Sora by the hand.
"Still, we have a big day tomorrow. We're going to see Aunty Tenten and the babies. You need to be well rested for that." Sora complied after that. He wanted to see his new cousins very much.
"…O…K," he yawned. He rubbed his eyes as she led him upstairs to get changed. Meanwhile, Sasuke remained in the living room with Suki.
Kabuto watched as his latest cadaver simmered in the green holding tank. The level of decomposition still didn't improve. The corpse was getting worse, and his regenerative solution was not working. He was missing a key element, and that was matching DNA.
He still needed test subjects with similar genetic information to really put the test to use. Otherwise, his plan would not succeed. The titanium doors behind him slid open and the sound of heels tapping on the floor caught his attention. Kabuto did not look back as he pressed a few buttons that made the body chamber revert back into its containment area.
"You know," Karin purred as she walked closer to him. "It's not healthy to be so obsessed with the dead." She stood behind him and traced his shoulders with her pointed fingernails. "You should spend more time with the living," she whispered with her lips close to his ear. Kabuto waited until the specimen was completely submerged before turning to the red headed woman and pulling her up against his body. His hands slid down her back before roughly grabbing at her bottom and giving a hard squeeze.
Karin wound her arms around his neck and pulled him down into a hard kiss.
Ever since she met him in China, things had changed. She had run into him by chance and once they got talking, everything came together. They both had the same goals, and ironically, the same history with Orochimaru. Together, they would use each other to get what they wanted.
Both wanted a certain person to possess…and a certain group of people dead.
It was all about their goals.
"Why can't I just get rid of her?" she asked as he assaulted her neck. He bit down hard around her pulse, making her scream before shoving her against the wall. He looked her in the eye with the light glaring on his lenses.
"Don't be hasty," he whispered harshly. "You will not touch her…no one will touch her." Karin stared at him with narrowed eyes. She just didn't understand why. He wouldn't tell her anything about why he protected her so far.
"Fine…for now," she relented before he began ravaging her again. Oh sweet manipulation. It played out well for the both of them.
Sasuke had gone into Sora's room to check on him. The little guy was sound asleep in his bed, although he was slightly lopsided. Sasuke adjusted him so that he wouldn't roll off the edge. He could still make out the faint outline of the scar on his temple from the night at the gala.
Sakura was also sporting a scar from the break in. He couldn't get those situations out of his head. They needed so much protection, and he didn't even know what they needed protecting from. It was frustrating.
He looked around the room and that's when he noticed all the drawings that lined the walls. There was a common theme among many of them: Ninja.
It must have been Sora's favorite thing to draw. There were many ninja pictures, a lot of which looked more like Sasuke than he could have imagined. But it was the detail that struck him. These weren't the average doodles of a child. They were precise with emphasis on things a normal kid wouldn't think to draw, like finger nails, or ear lobes, or costume detail, and even the environment.
Sora was a really gifted boy.
Sasuke spotted one drawing that stood out. It was Sasuke and Sora in their karate uniforms. Sora had drawn the day he came over and helped him practice his karate. Sora was riding on his shoulders with the house in the background. He could even see Sakura and Suki figures in the kitchen.
Sasuke let out a small smile as he looked at the little boy sleeping in his racecar bed; a boy he knew would grow up to be a strong man that protected his family. He was a boy Sasuke wanted to guide into manhood and make sure he knew how to protect the ones he loved; a son in so many ways.
Sasuke made sure that Sora was properly tucked in before looking at him once more and closing the door. He made his way over to Sakura's bedroom to bid Suki a good night before he left, when he overhead them talking.
Sakura tucked Suki into her bed and placed her stuffed piggy besides her. Suki held onto Tonton and turned around. Tonight she would sleep beside Sakura, just in case she needed anything during the night.
Sakura brought out her thermometer. "I'm going to take your temperature. Say Ahh."
Suki opened her mouth and took in the thermometer. After a minute, Sakura checked the results: 99.1 degrees Fahrenheit. Her fever had gone down considerably.
"Aunty Sakura, can you and Sora come home with me and Daddy?"
Sakura stopped and looked at her hopeful face. She wanted to say yes so much to that sweet little face, but she couldn't make promises that she probably couldn't keep. It wasn't fair to her. Sakura climbed into bed beside her.
"Oh Suki." She placed her hand on Suki's face and kissed her forehead. "It's not that easy sweetie. There are a lot of grown up things that need to be done before that can happen."
"What kind of grown up things? Don't you want to come with me?" Sakura rested her head against Suki's pillow and held her close with her arm.
"Suki there are some things that we can't do right now, but no matter what, I will always be here for you whenever you need me. Your daddy, Sora and I will always be there for you, so you don't have anything to worry about."
Suki smiled and cuddled beside her. Knowing that Sakura would always be around made her happy. Sakura kissed her forehead once more.
"I love you Suki, you know that right?"
"I love you too Aunty Sakura."
Sakura pulled Suki into her arms and held her close. Suki hugged her back as much as she could.
"You're so special, you know that?" Sakura praised. "You mean so much to me and Sora. And your daddy loves you too. So much," she added stroking her hair, like she often did for Sora to help him sleep.
"That's right," Sasuke said causing both of them to turn in his direction. He was standing at the door way and he had heard every word. He walked into the room and sat down on the bed and placed his hand over Suki's cheek.
"You're my Tenshi," he said making Suki smile. What made him smile on the inside was Sakura's embrace around her. He could imagine no other woman with the ability to love his daughter more that she did. The proof was there in her words and in her arms. Suki's smile was more than enough for him.
"She should be fine in the morning," Sakura said as held Suki close. "It looks like it was the twenty-four hour flu. She's already showing signs of recovery."
Sasuke's eyes lingered on his little girls face. Normally, he would have filled himself with self-loathing after neglecting her for an entire day while she was sick, but not right now, because she wasn't neglected today. She had Sakura.
"Daddy can you stay with me too?" Suki asked sleepily. Sasuke's eyes drifted towards Sakura, who smiled in return, silently saying it was okay.
"I will. I won't leave you again Tenshi." And with that, he kicked off his shoes, unbuttoned his shirt which left him in a white tank. He unbuckled his belt and let it fall leaving him in his work pants before he climbed in on the other side of Suki.
He kissed her cheek and settled beside her as she snuggled comfortably between them. With one big yawn, Suki settled herself into her much needed sleep. Once she was asleep, Sasuke's eyes connected with beautiful green counterparts.
Sakura was smiling with her eyes.
They needed no words to express how they felt. No words could describe just how content he was. He had never felt this at ease for as long as he can remember. He would do what it took to keep the happiness that he had been wanting for as long as he knew.
His hand moved and so did hers.
They met just above the sweet child that slept peacefully between them. The child that was now dreaming happy dreams of a family that loved her.
They were in their place, and it felt right.
Authors Note:
It was cheesy no? I couldn't help myself lol.
So as usual I would love to hear what you guys think in the form of lovely long reviews lol. If any of you have questions, let me at em. As for the Karin Kabuto luv fest...that will be explained later. Just had to add that in there.
AND MYSTERY DUDE 2 IS STILL A MYSTERY MUAHAHAHAHAAH! I know u all hate me for that, but yeah.
Review if you luv me!
*holds up Suki wrapped in a blankie*
Review if you luv Suki!