Sakura awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside the bedroom window. She got up, stretching loudly, letting a small groan escape her lips. She yawned and looked at the alarm clock, realizing it was almost 9 in the morning. She swung her legs out of bed and massaged her neck, liking down to realize she was still dressed in yesterday's clothes. She frowned.
She must have fallen asleep in the living room last night.
She quickly hopped in the shower, and then made the bed and brushed her teeth, thanking herself over and over for not having any nightmares. She opened the curtains, letting in the sunlight and headed towards the kitchen, deciding that this morning, she was going to make a nice stack of pancakes for breakfast. She jumped when she saw Sasuke sat at the kitchen table, writing in a scroll.
"Oh! Good morning, Sasuke." she walked past him, giving his shoulder a small squeeze, before turning on the stove, and grabbing a pan from the overhead hooks.
"Aa." Sakura smiled and reached into the fridge and cupboard for her ingredients. She began mixing them in a bowl, her back turned from Sasuke. She snuck a peek at the bag of seeds still lying on the counter, relieved that they were still there.
"Aren't you out with Naruto today?"
"He has Hokage training."
"Ah, okay. Well I'll probably head to the market after breakfast. Would you like some pancakes?"
"Hn."
She took that as a yes. She finished a small stack and delivered them on a plate towards Sasuke, who rolled up his scroll and pushed it off to the side of the table. Sakura grabbed the syrup from the fridge, doused her pancakes in it and sat back down at the table, digging in. She looked up, and smiled as she saw that Sasuke was taking a small bite out of his own.
They finished their breakfast, and this time, Sakura thought shockingly, Sasuke did the dishes. She laughed and grabbed her little notepad, and began to make a list of food items to grab at the market.
"Okay I have rice, tomatoes of course, some fruit, ah.. bread, we could use some more meat, perhaps some more pasta, potatoes? Oh and-"
"Butter." He cut her off, as he placed the dishes back in the cupboard. She nodded, writing down the item on her list. She tapped her pencil to her chin and shrugged.
"I think that's it. Is there anything else you need?" He shook his head and drained the sink water. She smiled and nodded, heading out into the hall to slip into her shoes and coat.
"Well alright, I shouldn't be long, and then I'll get started on the garden. If you're still here by the time I get back, I'll make some onigiri."
"Hn." She smiled, and opened the door, throwing her bag over her shoulder. She closed the door behind her, and left the compound, heading towards the market.
While rummaging around the fruits in one of the shops, she ran head on into Hatake Kakashi. She giggled, and gave her old sensei a large, tight hug. She let him go when he realized he was struggling for breath and laughed. He smiled through his mask and ruffled her hair.
"Haven't seen you in a while Sakura. How are things?"
"Great! Just doing a little food shopping. What are you doing here, Kakashi?"
"Ah, shopping for the old wife, you know how Anko gets. She's not even three months pregnant and she expects me to run around for her and feed her everything she requires." Sakura laughed, continuing to pick up her food items. She stole a look at Kakashi. He still looked young, and for a forty-three year old man, he had no wrinkles. It seemed having a baby was working well for him and Anko. She smiled again. She hoped Sasuke would be like this when they had a child.
"So how's Sasuke doing? Still being an ass?" Kakashi teased, and then saw his ex-student's face drop from it's lovely smile. He sputtered and quickly rethought his words. "I'm sorry, Sakura, I didn't mean to-"
Sakura shrugged, a small, sad smile on her lips. "It's okay, Kakashi-sensei. Sasuke is fine. And yes, he still refuses to use any words except 'hn', 'aa', and 'tch', but thanks for trying." She let out a nervous laugh. Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck, and payed for his food items.
"Well I should get going, I have to feed my lovely wife and soon to be son without getting yelled at by said wife and then I've got paperwork with Naruto. But keep in touch, you know where to find me." He used his free arm to hug Sakura warmly, which she returned. She smiled, and nodded happily at the white-haired man.
"Of course! I'll see you soon! Good luck with future-Hokage Naruto!" Kakashi grumbled a string of curses at the name as he walked away and Sakura laughed, resuming her shopping.
She used her free fingers to open the door to her home and pushed it open with her knee. She kicked the door shut and threw all the bags onto the counter, beginning to unpack them.
"Sasuke, are you home?" She called into the hallway, and resumed her unpacking.
"Aa." Came the response, as he appeared in the doorway, and helped her unpack and put away the food. He snuck a tomato out of the large bunch, which she giggled at, and he leaned against the kitchen table, taking a bite into the juicy fruit. She looked at the oven clock, and gathered up the rice, salt and plums for the onigiri.
"Wow, I didn't know I was gone so long! I guess I'll make us some lunch and then I'll do the garden." She began to prepare the food, and headed over to the knife rack, her hand stopped in midair, staring at the bowl of fruit perched on the edge of the counter. Her lips parted.
"Oh." She murmured. Wait, she hadn't brought any lemons-
"They needed picking." She turned towards her husband, and finally she realized where they came from. She tried to picture Uchiha Sasuke outside, harvesting fruit from a tree, but couldn't, and she laughed lightly. A small frown formed on Sasuke's features as he finished his tomato and wiped his mouth. Sakura turned back away from him with the knife and continued to make lunch.
"Well, thank you for picking them, they needed it, they were so ripened, they were falling on the ground to rot."
"Hn."
"I can put a slice in some tea, that would be lovely. Or I could bake a lemon meringue for my parents, I haven't seen them since the wedding."
"Aa."
"Oh! Sasuke! I ran into Kakashi-sensei at the market! It's crazy isn't it? I can't believe he married Anko, I mean they're a cute couple, I just can't believe she's going to have a son. Imagine a child with Kakashi sensei's hair and Anko's temper!" Sakura's eyes closed momentarily, and her lips lit up in a warm, but sad smile. Oh Kami, how she wanted to be like Anko, round and full of life. But it seemed, until Sasuke could really open up to her, and she wasn't forever stressing over these nightmares, she wouldn't be getting pregnant.
She noticed that Sasuke hadn't said anything, and chose to ignore it. She figured that (or more like hoped that) he wanted a child as much as she, and he was eager to start his family. She blushed, her mind suddenly filling with images of their sex. She shook her head to rid the thoughts and served up the small onigiri on the table.
They ate in silence, and after Sakura finished, and put the plates in the sink, she reached over to the packet of seeds still in the bag. She pulled out the small container, and read the instructions.
"One cup of water per five seeds, leave in sunlight, plant 3 inches down in soil.. sounds easy enough." She laughed, and headed out out of the kitchen, towards the back door. She stepped out onto the porch and breathed in the fresh air, before closing the door behind her. Peeling open the seed packed, Sakura placed it on the outdoor table, and went over to retrieve some water, and a small shovel. She bent down in the grass and began to turn over the soil and create small holes to plant the seeds in. She heard the screen door open, and Sasuke emerged, book in hand. He sat down on the bench and opened it, beginning to read. Sakura smiled, happy to have a silent companion, and started to sing.
When she finally had planted the seeds and watered them, she stood up, brushing off her dirty, uncovered knees. She picked up the packet, reading it again.
"About three months before the bushes come in, and a little more for the full bloom." She commented to herself, putting the now empty packed on the table.
"Hn."
She stared out over the deck and into the spacious garden, fenced around with tall bushes, that looked over grown. She looked at the small walkway and the fountain in the center, putting her hands on her hips. She let out a small sigh.
"It'll take a while, but this place will be beautiful." She nodded to herself and sat down next to Sasuke on the bench. She wiped a hand across her sweaty forehead, and leaned her head back, closing her eyes. Before she started to doze off, she stood back up, stretching. She looked towards the garden, and decided to tame those overgrown bushes. She headed over to the small shed, and brushed out some of the dust. She took out a pair of shears, and her she made eye contact with the bushes, her eyes narrowing. She raised the shears.
"You're goin' down!" She whispered, and began to prune the bushes, ignoring Sasuke's obvious smirk from behind her.
After her victory in her battle with the overgrown bushes (now cut perfectly and edged), Sakura cleaned up and headed inside, deciding to make rice porridge for a light dinner. It was 6:30 by the same she and Sasuke had sat down, said their thanks, and began to eat. They finished dinner, and Sakura began doing the dishes. She had just finished up, when she turned around to clean up and almost collided with Sasuke's chest. She looked up at her husband in question.
"Is everything alright?" She reached out a hand to place on his forehead, finding it a bit warm. He was just staring down at her, his hands at his sides. She looked into his eyes, finding nothing, as usual.
"Hn. What time are you at work?" She almost gaped. Had he actually asked her a question? That had been a first. She swallowed and looked back up at him.
"Er... not until 8, why do you ask-"
She was cut off when his arms flew out to trap her against the counter, his hands gripping the edges. His head lowered swiftly and placed the all too familiar chaste kiss on her lips before pulling away. Sakura blushed, feeling entrapped brought back memories of the bathroom incident days ago. She swallowed, and pursed her lips as Sasuke's left hers. Then her mind started to realize what was happening.
Oh. Oh. OH.
She blushed deeper, but Sasuke's left hand was at the top buttons of her shirt, undoing them swiftly and quietly. He gently tugged the material, letting it fall to the floor, his hands reaching down to the button of her jean shorts. She gulped, her hands shaking as she lifted her hands to cup his neck, as usual, but his hand to her wrist stopped her. He placed her hand on the waistband of his jeans, and reached behind him, pulling his shirt up and over his head.
Her hand shakingly undid the button of his jeans, then the zipper, and pulled the material down, not waiting to hear it fall to the floor with her other garments. Speaking of which, her jeans were already on the floor. She squeezed her thighs together, trying not to look down at her husband's dark boxers and the outline of his.. she blushed, not finishing her sentence and undid her bra, letting it fall onto the other discarded clothes. It didn't take him long to rid them of the rest of their clothes, and to set Sakura on the counter, where she had just earlier been chopping tomatoes. She wrapped her arms around her husband's neck, and buried her face in his shoulder as he entered her.
Though this was different from the other times, (Kami, they were having sex in the kitchen!) it was as if the same old Sasuke had returned. He didn't meet her eyes as he moved against her, his usual pants and grunts forming in his mouth. Sakura closed her eyes, choosing to just enjoy the moment, and ignored the face that she was on the kitchen counter, her legs wrapped around Sasuke's waist tightly. He used one hand (as usual) to brace himself, while the other gripped the back of her knee.
They finished in sync, Sasuke panting, and Sakura biting her lip, letting out a light shudder. Then she was alone, sitting on the counter, quite naked. Sasuke picked up his clothes, put on his jeans, and disappeared into the house. She didn't bother listening for sounds of where he went, but instead jumped gingerly off the counter, and bent to pick up her clothes. She headed straight to the bathroom, and took a shower, now fully aware that she only had half an hour to get ready for work. She dressed, and did her makeup, before heading back into the kitchen. She was already blushing deeply as she stared at the kitchen counter.
Not really knowing how to.. deal with the aftermath of such a situation, she cleaned up, and tidied the kitchen. She locked up, gathered her bag and keys, and decided to take the long way in the cool air outside to clear her mind. She slipped into her shoes and coat, and hesitated at the door, biting her lip. She realized she should say something to her husband, to let him know she was leaving, but words escaped her mind. So she bowed her head, embarrassed and left the compound quickly and quietly.
She wondered if Naruto had been having a few talks with Sasuke about these things.
Sakura yawned, stretching herself as much as possible in her office chair. So far, she had only had one surgery today, a late night surgery to remove a tumor from a kind-spirited old woman. Thank Kami it had been a success. Sakura stood up, and walked over to her little coffee maker (she needed them here as much as at home), and poured herself out a cup. She took a slip, grimaced, and jumped when her phone rang. She answered it, popping back down in her chair, propping up her legs on her desk.
"Doctor Haruno speaking." She answered, and heard a loud laugh. She knew instantly who it was.
"Oh come on, Sakura! That's no way to answer a call to a friend." Tenten teased, and there was a faint rustling over the line, a bang, and then a girlish scream. Sakura's eyes widened. Was that-
"Sorry Sak, Naruto is here with Hinata and he just tried to make me hang up on you, the little bastard." Sakura laughed, and bid Naruto hello, hearing him scream back his answer in the background. Tenten screamed back for him to shut up, and she could hear Hinata giggling.
"What's up, Ten?"
"Ah, well I thought I would just give you a call, I assumed you were on your break, but I would have left a message. You'll be getting an invitation in the mail soon, buuut... Neji and I set the date for our wedding!" Sakura heard the squeals over the line from her and Hinata and then Naruto joined in, making a chorus of out of tuned voices. Sakura giggled, and smiled. Her eyes quickly drifted to her own wedding photo, but then she snapped her eyes back to her coffee mug. She took a sip.
"That's amazing, Ten, I'm so glad. When is it?"
"Two months! I know it's a bit hasty, but we've been planning for months, we were just waiting for Neji's parents approval. And now they've agreed since Neji recieved his Jounin achievements and grants, so it'll be in the Autumn, when all the blossoms are falling! How romantic, eh?"
"Sounds great! Who's the head bridesmaid? Oh and the best man?"
"I asked Hinata to be my head, since she is Neji's cousin, and Neji asked Lee. Naruto was a little pissed, I think he's trying to set a record for most times being a best man, but he's still in the bridal party! And of course, you, Ino, and Temari will be my bridesmaids, and I got Neji to finally give in and ask Sasuke to be in his groom party."
Sakura smiled. "I'd love to! And I would love to see that conversation." Tenten laughed.
"Right? It'll start with 'hn' and end with more 'hns'. But don't tell Sasuke about the groom thing, I want him to be surprised when Neji asks him!"
"Alright fine! But I will mention the wedding, and I can't wait to get the invitation. Anything specific you want for your wedding gift?" There was a pause, before Tenten answered, and it sounded like she was thinking hard. Then she suddenly let out a long giggle.
"Well I know what Ino's present to me will be. Kami, she already asked Neji for his favorite color!"
The two girls erupted into a fit of giggles, and Sakura began thinking of a gift she could get the couple. She was interrupted by a short knock on her office door. She sat up right in her chair and addressed her friend on the phone.
"Gotta go, duty calls. Can't wait for the invitation, Ten! Tell everyone I said hello! I'll talk to you later." The two big goodbye, and Sakura hung up the phone, calling for the person to enter the room. Shizune popped her head in, a pleasant smile on her features.
"Sorry to bother you, Sakura-san, but we have a little boy down in room 2C with a sprained leg and a bruised nose. I know how you like to take care of the children so..." Sakura smiled, and stood up, stretching. She was happy to be on her feet, and even happier to heal a child.
"I'll be right down. What's his name?"
"Nara Shin."
Sakura's eyes widened, as she hurried her footsteps towards the room holding Ino and Shikamaru's son.
Ino and Shikamaru had been the first couple of Sakura's agre group to get married, but their situation was quiet different from the other couples. The two had been dating since they were sixteen, and at the age of seventeen, Ino got pregnant. They had the child out of wedlock, but as soon as both Ino and Shikamaru were eighteen, the two decided to marry. At the time, Sasuke had just began what Sakura had called courting (only it really wasn't) Sakura, so when she was invited to be Ino's head bridesmaid, she asked Sasuke to attend the wedding with her as her date. However, Sasuke flatly declined with the short explanation that he did not attend such events. So instead Sakura had quickly asked Lee to escort her.
Sakura slowly opened the door to Room 2C and was immediately bombarded in hugs from Ino and a pat on the back from Shikamaru. Sakura hugged her best friend back, and pulled away, bending down to get eye level with their son.
"What happened, baby?" She looked at the little boy, but he was clutching his leg, and tears streamed down his face. He refused to talk, so Sakura looked towards Ino, who looked away guiltily. Shikamaru placed an arm around his wife and kissed her head. Sakura bit her lip, ignored their public display of affection, and waited for Ino to speak. She swallowed heavily.
"He fell down on the swing. Gah, I feel so bad! Shikamaru was still out on a mission, and the phone rang, so I popped in doors quickly to grab it, and I heard a thud, and Shin was on the ground crying." She put an arm around her son, kissing his head gently. Sakura smiled and patted her arm.
"No harm done," she bent back down and addressed Shin, her voice light and happy, "when I was little, I used to fall off of things all the time, Shin!" He pouted and licked his lips.
"Reawwy?" Sakura nodded and poked his nose, causing him to giggle. Ino sighed out in relief.
"Thank god you're on a shift, Sakura, I was going to heal it at home, but his leg is sprained, so I don't want to do anything wrong." Sakura waved her hand towards her friend, and placed her hand over Shin's leg. She lay the little almost three year old down and looked at him, smiling gently.
"Will you let me make your leg feel better, Shin?" He nodded quickly, and Sakura smiled, applying a small amount of chakra to heal the muscles of his leg. Within minutes, he was already kicking his legs about and giggling. Ino, relieved, fell back against her husband's embrace and smiled warmly at her best friend.
"I owe you one, Sak."
"No biggie. Lets get you guys checked out and on home." Shikamaru squeezed her arm in thanks, and the two exchanged smiles. She hugged Ino once more, and helped them out the door, towards the check out desk in the lobby. She and Ino had both forgotten about the promise Ino made to speak to Sakura for Sasuke. Which was good, because right now Sakura's throat felt tight, and she quickly fled back to her office. She shut the door and slid down to the ground, letting her tears fall onto her doctors coat. She let out a sob.
Why couldn't she have a life like that?
Kami, she wanted a child so bad.