A/N: BRB I NEED TO GO CRAWL INTO A CORNER AND CRY FOREVER. You'll see when you get there BUT I legit cried writing this chapter, especially at the middle and end. Well you'll know. But the yolo tho.
Two weeks til Neji and Tenten's wedding, the Konaha academy had let out for summer, leaving Sakura flooded in a sea of injured children with any and every wound from a scrap to a broken arm. And on top of that, Tsunade had been getting a lot of leads on her attempt to catch a very dangerous S-ranked gangster, so every day, almost all of the elite Jounin, and ANBU (including Sasuke) were on missions. Many came into the hospital frequently with chakra blocks and metal poisoning (the gagster's fighting signature).
So instead of Sakura's usual, regular day or night shifts, she found herself in and out of the hospital on call for shifts that lasted anywhere between one and ten hours, based on the amount of injured patients. Even Ino was called in (since she was qualified to be a nurse), and Shizune to aid the other nurses and doctors. For that week, Sakura and Sasuke saw little of each other. When they were both home, Sakura would prepare a meal and they would enjoy the time they had before her pager rang violently, or Naruto banged on the door to the Uchiha compound, yelling at Sasuke to attend the meeting the next morning.
When Sakura was home for the night, she snuggled herself in Sasuke's warm embrace and took short naps, his arms clutching her tight. She bit her lip every time she heard her pager vibrate and she had to leave his warm arms.
They had been making a lot of progress in their marriage, as Sasuke kissed her more, spoke more and became more and more intimate, but when all hell broke loose at the hospital for Sakura and the missions flooded in for Sasuke, he returned to his usual exhausted and stressed grunts and small talk.
Sakura never asked Sasuke about his Icha Icha book, nor did she attempt to pull it out of his drawer and open it again. She just assumed that he was trying, so she left him too it, not wanting to prod.
Any thoughts or reminders Sakura placed in her head were easily forgotten between her hospital shifts, and even her written notes were quickly forgotten the moment a nurse opened her office door, urgently asking her to come and help out a patient.
Sakura also noticed that she was loosing a bit of weight from the sudden stress, but tried to eat as much as possible when she had time. On the rare occasions that she had a break she would shove a bunch of random fruits and vegetables into the blender, and douse the liquid mush in sugar, and gulp the entirety of it down.
She also hadn't realized how stressed she and Sasuke were until they ended up bickering frequently. Sasuke, she had learned from his late night mumbles, was out every day from sun up and didn't arrive home until way past sundown, just as exhausted as she. She had been trying to catch up on some laundry one night, not realizing that Sasuke was trying to get some sleep in the bedroom, and the washer had stalled and began to leak water. She had called out for Sasuke to look at the problem, and received an agitated, exhausted response. Feeling bad, she had crawled into bed that night and snuck into his arms, pressing kisses to every part of his body she could. He sighed and pressed her lips to his, as a form of apology, and then gone back to sleep.
The next morning, she was home when Sasuke was up early, about to leave for his mission, and she had asked him what time he would be back that night, in case she was home and wanted to make a light dinner for them. He had sighed deeply and answered honestly that he had no idea. Sakura had snapped at him, and grumbled nonsense about him needing to tell her more and to say more words when they spoke. She wiped back stray tears and his arms wrapped around her, pulling her to him.
"Next week will be better", he had promised, whispering into her hair, "Naruto, Kakashi and I plan to catch this bastard out in Amegakure tonight." Sakura nodded into his shirt, kissed his lips and he was gone.
Sasuke had been right.
The next week, all Jounin and ANBU patients to the hospital vanished, and the notorious gangster was caught, held on trial, and executed. And since most of the parents of the children got the week off (a custom in Konaha for summer), all injuries including genin and children ceased. Relieved, Sakura arranged a day at the spa for her and Ino, as Hinata was busy that day with Naruto and TenTen was off planning for her wedding in a week.
Sasuke was attending an ANBU meeting that day and wouldn't be back until nighttime, so Sakura took the day to herself.
"Ah.. I haven't relaxed like this in months.." Sakura closed her eyes and pulled the warm washcloth over her eyes. She and Ino were stretched out in the small sauna, both with eyes closed, mouths open in happiness.
"Kami, this feels amazing." Ino muttered and slouched down in her seat.
They had gotten manicures and massages, and finally hit the hot springs. Sakura was just about to let her eyes close to doze off for a few minutes, when Ino's voice awoke her.
"Jesu, Sakura, what the hell have you been taking to handle your stress levels? You're glowing!" Sakura cracked open an eye and laughed. She shrugged to her friend.
"All I did was sleep for two days straight and catch up on my food." Ino laughed.
"The last time I was that glowing, I was seventeen, very fat, and very pregnant." Ino grumbled. Sakura's eyes twitched at her words, but she didn't give it much thought as she slowly fell asleep.
A few days before TenTen and Neji's big day, Sakura had had a nightmare. She was relieved, however, to find that it was not about her husband killing her nor was it about dying. It was an odd one, with Madara's eyes, the Ninetails and Naruto's female form.
Sakura shot up in bed, coughing. She wiped the beads of sweat off of her forehead, and sighed. She looked at the small, eaten apple on her bedside table, and glared at the exposed core and seeds. She remembered munching on an apple and some grapes before bed.
She disposed of the fruit in the kitchen and cursed the old wives tale that eating before bed caused nightmares.
Her eating schedule was still not normal, so when her stomach grumbled, she snacked on a few crackers and headed back upstairs to get some more sleep before Sasuke returned home in the morning.
Sakura had another day off from work, and Sasuke had no mission that day so the two spent the day in bed sleeping, talking, having sex, or just plain out lying there and enjoying the silence. Sasuke told her tales of some of his most exhausting missions from the stressful period, and Sakura told him about her fruit and vegetable smoothie mush. Sasuke smirked and they had kissed once more.
Sakura was tempted to mention the book, but once more didn't, seeing how she and Sasuke were slowly returning to their intimate time together. As Sasuke lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, Sakura perched herself on one elbow and let her eyes run over her husband.
"I love you." She had said simply. He looked at her and put his hand to her cheek.
"I know."
She knew he cared for her, he had admitted to it in their big fight a month back, and she hoped there was some possibility of him someday loving her too. Until then, she continued to say those three words on a periodic basis, letting him know by the tone of her voice that she didn't intend on making him say it back.
The last two days before their friends' wedding was spent together. With Sakura's short work shifts and Sasuke's lack of missions, they cleaned up the house once more, and planted more flowers in the gardens. Sakura looked towards her Azaleas, happy that they were beginning to form small bushes in the earth. They also managed to clean out the tool shed, discard of the dead bushes and mend the wooden fence surrounding the Uchiha gardens. It wasn't until Sakura was finished cleaning out the fountain in the middle of the garden, that the heat wave of the hot day hit her, and she began to feel dizzy.
She headed in, placed a cloth across her eyes and sat in the bathroom near the toilet, waiting for the sickening feeling to pass as she pressed her forehead against the cool glass of the shower.
That night, when Sakura was feeling better, and had eaten, Sasuke took her out to a movie preview, and the two had returned home, sweaty from the humid, summer air. Sakura had jumped into the shower, letting the cold water hit her skin, when the door had opened, and Sasuke was behind her, pressing her front first against the clouded glass, his hands gripping her hands, holding them above her head against the wall.
Sakura had later analyzed her recent, heightened libido, and decided that she liked shower sex. And she also commemorated Sasuke, knowing it had probably come from that X rated book he kept hidden in his drawer.
The day before the wedding, Sasuke had awoken next to her in bed, and was silent for half of the morning. Sakura had tried to get him to speak, but to no avail. All he did was 'hn'. She sighed and left him to his thoughts to continue her medical research. She was sat at her desk in the office immersed in a large pile of open medical books, papers and files when Sasuke had appeared in the doorway of the office, looking sullen.
Sakura slowly moved her papers away from her and stood up, and walked over to her husband. Even if he was a head taller than her, she gently pulled his head down to her chest, and she felt her shirt dampening. She held him there, letting him do whatever he needed to do, her lips on his head. She stroked his hair, and lead him to the living room, where she sat down and leaned him back to her chest. She wrapped her arms around him, and remained silent.
He would open up when he felt he needed to, she knew.
Alas, after fifteen minutes of silence, and Sakura's fingers stroking his hair, Sasuke opened his mouth.
"Today is the anniversary of my parent's death."
He went silent again, and Sakura now knew why he hadn't wanted to attend the wedding, which was tomorrow. She said nothing, but continued to stroke his hair, and his arms slowly pulled themselves around her, his head buried in the crevice between her breasts.
After another ten minutes of silence, Sakura bit her lip, but willed herself to speak.
"Your mother was an amazing woman, I only met her once, but I know I she was." She spoke softly, and her shirt was damp again where Sasuke's face was buried. She kissed his head.
Five year old Sasuke ran through the crowds of parents and children outside the Konaha academy, his eyes intent on the box that his mother was holding from her position a few feet away. He skidded to a stop in front of her and held his arms up, trying to reach the box, his small face forming a scowl.
Uchiha Mikoto laughed at her son's intent and raised the box higher out of his reach, planting a kiss on his head. Sasuke blushed and continued to reach for the box, beginning to jump up and down now. His stomach growled loudly and he blushed harder.
"Mooom, I'm hungry!" He finally got a hold on the box and Mikoto giggled, handing her son his box of lunch. He quickly slid it open and began munching on a riceball.
"Well well, you're welcome, Sasuke." He frowned, his cheeks stuffed with food. He swallowed and nodded.
"Thanks, mom." She beamed at him and placed a long kiss to his forehead. Sasuke blushed, hearing giggles and whispers from around him. He frowned.
"I'm a big boy now, don't do that!" He scolded his mother, wiping his head feverishly. She laughed again and ruffled his hair. She stood back up and brushed off her dress.
"Now be good, an enjoy your lunch. Play with some of the other boys, ne? Itachi will pick you up at 2." Sasuke frowned, continuing to munch on his lunch.
"I don't want to play with the other boys, I want to spar with Itachi!" Mikoto laughed once more.
"Someday you will. Ah!" Her eyes caught sight of baby pink and she turned smiling and kneeled down in front of the young girl. She tilted her head and placed her hands on her knees, ignoring Sasuke's frown.
"Hello, what's your name?" The girl blushed and looked away from Sasuke and turned to Mikoto, her arms behind her back nervously. Her emerald eyes shon happily.
"H-Haruno Sakura." Mikoto smiled.
"I'm Uchiha Mikoto, Sasuke's mother." Sakura nodded and blushed, hearing her own stomach growl. Mikoto put an arm around her son and turned Sasuke towards Sakura, who blushed and looked down as Sasuke stuffed his face.
"Where is your lunch, honey?" Sasuke frowned again at his mother's kindness towards Sakura, sort of jealous. Sakura looked down again.
"I-I forgot it at home today and my mom is at work right now.." Mikoto nudged Sasuke to stand in front of her, between her and Sakura. Sakura let out a small yelp, stepped back, and blushed harder.
"Sasuke, dear, give Sakura one of your onigiri's, I packed you a few extra." Sasuke scowled, and swallowed.
"No, I'm hungry." Mikoto put her hand to her son's head and tried again. Sasuke stubbornly sighed, and took a onigiri out of his box and handed it to Sakura.
"Here." She took it sheepishly and blushed a deeper shade of red.
"T-Thank you, Sasuke-kun! And you, Uchiha-san!" She bowed deeply, and Sasuke frowned, finishing his lunch as Sakura ran away from the two, still red. Mikoto smiled and placed a final kiss to her son's head, letting him finish his lunch.
"I like her." She murmured, and Sasuke huffed, shoving another onigiri in his little mouth.
Sakura felt Sasuke's tears increase on her shirt. She pulled his head up, his teary eyes meeting her own. She smiled, feeling the water run down her cheeks and kissed Sasuke's eyelids, her fingers wiping away his tears.
He continued to clutch onto her, even as Sakura wiped her own tears away, and closed her eyes. She felt him lean his forehead against hers, and the two shared the silence. She felt Sasuke's cool breath fan out on her face.
"How about you and I go get some roses from Ino's?" She stroked his back as he took his time to respond. He nodded.
They bought a dozen red roses and lilies from Ino's and ignored her stares and open mouth at Sasuke's sad look. This time, as Sasuke's left arm gripped the flowers tightly, Sakura moved her hand down to his open one and intertwined their fingers.
He didn't object as they walked to the graveyard together, hand in hand.
As they neared the two, matching headstones, Sakura pulled her hand from Sasuke's and stood back, letting him have his moment. He collapsed to his knees between the two gravestones, laying the flowers at the foot of them. After a while of silence, Sakura reached forward and stroked his back, standing next to him.
"I wish you could have known her, mom." He whispered, and Sakura closed her eyes, choking back a sob. She let the tears fall freely down her face, even when Sasuke turned towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist, his head buried in her stomach. Only then did he let out a small, audible sob into the material of her dress. She wrapped her arms around his head, covering him from the world and bent her head and cried too.
What a sight they must have been.
Sakura slowly pulled Sasuke's arms from around her, and she kneeling in the grass beside him, her forehead resting on his. He closed his tear-stained eyes, and Sakura reached out to hug him. he buried his head in her neck, his arms around her once more.
"Don't give up on me." He whispered, and clutched her harder. A small smile came to her lips and she rested her cheek on the top of his head.
"Never."
They walked home slowly, and Sasuke's hand found his way into Sakura's their fingers intertwined. They were now both clear of tears, but had slowly pulled out of their sullen cloud. They remained silent, and Sakura led her husband into the house. She pulled her hand from his gently, kissed his cheek and went into the bath room to run a hot bath. It had been a long day, and relaxing sounded good right now. Kami, how her ankles had swollen from all the work.
As she was about to undo her dress, and pull her hair up to so it didn't get wet, Sasuke appeared behind her. His hands buried them in her hair as he pulled it off her head, and secured it in a twist with Tsunade's hair clip. He then slowly unzipped her dress, helped her out of the rest of her clothes, and gently placed her in the bathtub. As he was going to silently leave the room so she could have her privacy, Sakura bit her lip, blushing.
"Wait." He turned to her, his eyes searching her face.
"Join me." Within seconds, he was stripping himself of his shirt and pants and stepping into the large tub to seat himself next to her. She shifted their position, until she was sat behind him, her legs drawn up, and Sasuke was sat between them, in front of her. His arms rested on her knees, and he let his head fall back to her chest. She kissed his forehead, and wrapped her arms around him.
They had lain there for thirty minutes, when the phone rang. Sasuke frowned, squeezing Sakura's knees.
"Leave it." He whispered huskily, but Sakura wriggled out of the tub, ignoring her husband's scowl. She wrapped herself in her bathrobe and went to answer it.
"It could be important." She heard Sasuke's grumbling, and giggled. He was back to his usual self, which was good. Oh the powers of incense, hot water and relaxation. Sakura answered the phone.
"This better be important-" Ino cut her off.
"SAKURA. ONE HOUR. MEET AT HARU'S BAR. WEAR HEELS. OKAY? BYE." Before Ino could hang up, Sakura cut her off.
"What the hell are you talking about, Ino-pig? I was just enjoying a nice bath with my sexy hus-"
"FOREHEAD. ITS TENTEN'S LAST NIGHT AS A SINGLE, UNMARRIED WOMAN NOW ARE YOU GONNA SUPPORT HER AND COME HAVE FUN OR ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE SEX WITH YOUR HUSBAND MAKE UP YOUR MIND WOMAN."
"Well actually, Ino, I would like to have sex with my h-"
"TOO BAD. HARU'S. ONE HOUR. NOW BYE." Sakura sighed, hearing the dial tone and hung up.
"What was that about?" She turned towards Sasuke, who was clad in a towel. She blushed and bit her lip.
"Ah, Ino wants me to go to Tenten's Hen Party in an hour." Sasuke smirked, and walked past her to head into the kitchen. As he did, his lips met her ear, his hand moving to her behind.
"Don't have too much fun." He whispered huskily, before heading into the kitchen, and she heard the coffee maker turn on. She blushed and ran into the bedroom to get ready.
Sakura was gone thirty minutes, when the phone rang once more. Sasuke sighed loudly and set down his second up of coffee, moving to answer it. He adjusted his towel.
"Hn?"
"Oh, er- hey, Sasuke, it's Shikamaru." Sasuke frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"What is it?"
"Well.. er.. Ino's gone out, and Naruto just told me that he was planning on getting Neji and stripper and a-"
"I'm not going." Sasuke said gruffly. To his surprise, Shikamaru chuckled.
"That's what I told Naruto you would say, so we didn't ask you. Anyways, what I was saying, was Ino's out, and I gotta go to this stupid bachelor's party, so I was wondering if Sakura could babysit Shin. I would ask my parents, or Ino's, but Ino's are on vacation, and my parents are busy. Chouji's coming to the party, along with the other guys, Hinata is on a mission, and Tenten is no where to be found. Is Sakura there?"
Sasuke sighed. "She's out with Ino." He said matter of factly. He heard Shikamaru smack his head, and he smirked.
"God dammit, I should have known that. Probably a hen party then, right? Good thing Hinata wasn't going, she'd probably pass out at the first sight of a male strippers ass-"
"They hired a stripper?" Sasuke asked murderously. He heard Shikamaru laugh nervously.
"Calm down, it's probably for Tenten. Our wives won't be getting any action from a man whore tonight."
"Hn."
"Anyways, uh.. awkward question. Could you maybe.. come and babysit Shin for like an hour or two? Just til I can pull away from the party, or Sakura or Ino gets home."
"No." He deadpanned. But then frowned. He sighed, and his face formed a scowl.
"Fine." Shikamaru let out a large sigh of relief.
"Thanks, man I owe you one." Sasuke hung up, and went to get changed.
He arrived at Shikamaru's door ten minutes later, hands buried in his pockets, and a scowl on his face. He banged on the door, and Shikamaru let him in, rubbing his neck.
"Ah, thanks again, man. Alright so, he should be alseep by now, but sometimes he wakes up, and yeah. Diaper stuff is in the bathroom to the right in the hall, his bottle is in the fridge, foods in the cupboard, yeah. Thanks again." He slipped out the door, shutting it behind him. Sasuke frowned, listening to the silence.
Tch, this would be easy. All he had to do was sit here for an hour or two, and-
"Who are you?" Sasuke jumped and turned to face the sound of the small voice. The toddler stood in the doorway, rubbing his eyes, his hands clutching a small teddybear. He yawned.
"Uchiha Sasuke. A friend of your parents." Sasuke answered quickly, and then sighed. He walked over and picked up the small boy, aiming to put him back in his bed, when Shin whined, struggling.
"No, I dun wanna go back to bed. I'm not tired." Sasuke's eye twitched, and he sighed again.
"Well I am, Shin, so-"
"No!"
Sasuke held up the small boy by his under arms, watching as he pouted, a frown on his small features, his arms crossed tightly. He continued to clutch his teddy bear as he glared at the older man, his mother's eyes shining.
Sasuke sighed again.
"Fine."
He set the boy gently on the couch and turned towards the kitchen, aiming to see if Shikamaru had any tomatoes, when Shin's happy voice cut through the air.
"Sasuke-sama, I want ice cream!" He kicked his little legs out and jumped up and down happily, the teddy bear flying in the air. Sasuke's eye twitched again.
"No."
His eyes widened when Shin began to wail, his head thrown back, mouth opened. Sasuke swiftly moved over towards the now three year old boy and kneeled in front of him. His eyes softened, and he placed a hand on his head. Shin slowly calmed down.
"Fine." He sighed, and his lip twitched when Shin suddenly started laughing and his arms moved happily.
"Yay! I want the wed won, with vanilla!" Sasuke picked the boy up, putting him on his hip and headed into the kitchen. He set Shin down in his high chair, and rummaged through the cupboards, pulling out a small bowl and a spoon. He bent down and found a tub of vanilla icecream in the back of the freezer. He scooped out a small amount into the bowl and put it down in front of Shin, handing him the baby spoon. Just as he was about to stand back up, Shin's arms wrapped themselves around his neck. His breath hitched, and Shin pulled away again.
"Thank you, Sasuke-sama!" Sasuke smirked gently and ruffled his hair. He put the ice cream back in the freezer and continued searching for any red fruits. He finally found Ino's bunch of fresh produce in the fridge and swiped the biggest one, taking a bite out of it. He sat at the kitchen table, his eyes closed in happiness, and then he realized Shin had gone quiet. He looked up and saw the toddler yawn, putting down his spoon in his half eaten ice cream. Sasuke felt a ghost of a smile touch his lips. He gently picked up the child and grabbed his teddy, heading towards Shin's room.
He tucked the boy in, resisting the strong urge to kiss his head. Just as he was about to leave the room, Shin's light voice cut through the quiet air.
"Goodnight, daddy."
Tears formed in Sasuke's eyes. He wiped them away quickly, and headed back to the kitchen. He put the dirty dish in the sink and collapsed on Shikamaru's couch, closing his eyes. He rummaged around in the cushions and found the tv remote. He turned on the box, and watched the news. An hour later, Shikamaru still wasn't back and no one had called. However, there was a small voice coming once more from the hallway.
"Sasuke-sama?" He turned and saw Shin stood there, once more, clutching his teddy bear. He yawned bigger.
"I can't sleep. Can I come cuddle?" Sasuke was about to object and put the boy back into bed, when he sighed, extending his arm.
"Fine." He said once more. Shin giggled happily, and ran over to the couch, Sasuke helping him up onto it. Shin curled up by his side, his head laying on his chest.
"When did you get so smart anyways, kid?" He commented, thinking about how clear Shin formed words, and could clearly think, especially for ice cream. Shin giggled, and then yawned.
"Mommy says its because daddy is very smart." He then fell asleep, his head on Sasuke's chest, small arms holding his bear. Sasuke leaned his head back once more, turned off the television, and closed his own eyes. His arm covered Shin, instinctively.
Sakura rubbed her back and yawned. She and Ino were just leaving the bar, and Sakura stopped to rub her swollen ankles.
"Kami, I hate heels." She grumbled and took them off, yawning again. Ino laughed, and the two walked slowly away from the bar. On their way, Sakura ran head on into Chouji's large stomach, and almost fell over. She jumped up.
"Gomen, Chouji, I didn't see you there-" Ino screamed, staring at Chouji's partner in the darkness.
"NARA SHIKAMARU WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT- OH MY GOD WHERE'S SHIN?" She started to freak out, when Shikamaru wrapped his arms around her and calmed her down. He smirked.
"Neji's bachelor party." He said smugly, then shot an accusing look at his wife, who looked away guiltily. "And because you didn't tell me about TenTen's Hen party, and our parents weren't available, I called Sakura's", he gestured to the pinkette, who raised an eyebrow, "and asked her to babysit, but when I found out she was out with you, I had no other choice than to ask Sasuke to do it."
Sakura let out a small laugh. "Sasuke agreed?" Shikamaru shrugged and then nodded.
"He's babysitting Shin right now." Sakura bit her lip, unable to picture Sasuke taking care of a child with a scowl on his face.
"I'm sorry, honey." Ino kissed her husband, and they made up. Sakura apologized for not being available, but Shikamaru waved a hand at her. The four of them slowly walked towards Ino's and Shikamaru's house, bidding Chouji bye at his, and then Ino stepped forward to open the door. Sakura pushed her way in, feeling guilty that her husband had to babysit.
"Sasuke, I'm so sorry, if I had known I would have come immed..." She drifted off as her eyes caught the sight in front of her. Tears instantly came to her eyes, and her lips parted. She held her hands to her mouth, hoping she hadn't woken her husband. Her heart melted.
Sasuke was stretched out on Shikamaru's couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table, head thrown back in sleep. Shin was cuddled up on Sasuke's chest, his thumb in his mouth, teddy bear in hand, and Sasuke's arms were wrapped around the toddler protectively.
"Oh Kami.." Sakura murmured. Shikamaru and Ino exchanged a look. He stepped forward, ready to wake Sasuke, when Ino pulled him back, shaking her head. This was Sakura's moment. Tears came to Ino's eyes, and Sakura's. Sakura slowly approached the couch, not wanting to ruin the precious moment, but knew she had to. She stroked her husbands hair, and bent down to kiss his lips. He stirred, and made a small yawning noise behind closed lips. One of his arms stretched out from Shin's back to rub his eyes.
"Hn?"
"Let's put Shin to bed and get home, ne?" She asked her husband gently. He looked down at the toddler on his chest as Sakura slowly, and gently picked up Shin, and then helped Sasuke up from the couch. She led him into Shin's room where she placed the boy into his bed and pulled the covers to his shoulders. She stroked his hair, arranged his bear back in his arms, and stood up turning to meet her husbands gaze from where he was watching her in the hallway. She wrapped her arm around his waist and gently led him out of the house, quietly bidding Shikamaru and Ino goodnight as she did.
It wasn't until they were halfway home, that Sasuke broke the silence.
"I want to be a father so badly." He whispered. His words brought tears to Sakura's eyes, and she bit back a sob.
"You will be," she said, her voice stronger than she felt, "I promise."