Love, Actually

Chapter 1

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Later that night, Sakura left the office with many thoughts running through her head.

The pink haired medic found it hard to reconcile the woman that she saw today with the Kagome that she knew. The Kagome that she knew wouldn't have chosen to become a single mother. The Kagome that she knew wouldn't have gotten drunk to the point where her good sense flew out of the window. The Kagome that she knew wouldn't have slept with a married man.

At the mere thought of the child's father, Sakura clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles cracked.

If she ever found out who that bastard was, he would suffer. No doubt about it. Sakura wouldn't kill him, oh no. She would just hurt him to the point where he felt such unendurable agony that he begged for death. But of course she wouldn't grant him that. She would heal him so that he was perfectly healthy, and then she would hurt him all over again. She wouldn't stop until she felt like he repaid the hurt he caused her friend.

Sakura knew that she was being a tad irrational about this, but Kagome was her friend. She was allowed to take sides and hold a grudge against the man who had broken her friend's heart like this. And she knew that Kagome was heartbroken.

The expression on her face after Sakura asked if the man had loved her…

Sakura growled. She definitely wanted to hurt him.

After several more minutes of walking, Sakura arrived at her apartment complex. She checked her letterbox for mail and after seeing there was none, she headed up the stairs to the flat at the top floor. Outside of her door, she spent about a minute cursing as she rifled through her purse in search of her keys.

Ah, finally, she thought as her hands clamped around a familiar piece of metal.

She pulled it out and inserted it into the lock. The door opened with a quiet click and Sakura stepped inside her apartment, shutting it silently behind her. She took several deep, calming breaths and smiled when a familiar chakra signature hovered at the edge of her senses.

Sasuke's back, Sakura thought dreamily. It looked like her husband had returned from his latest mission.

Sakura tiredly kicked off her shoes and dumped her purse onto the couch. Her feet padded silently across the floor as she made her way to the bedroom. She entered the dimly lit room and the sight that greeted her warmed her heart to bits.

Sasuke was sprawled out on his side of the bed, fast asleep.

He was shirtless, so Sakura had to clamp down hard on her lust when she saw how his pale but well-toned chest seemed to glow ethereally in the moonlight. No matter how many years passed, it seemed like Sasuke would always have that type of effect on her… As he slumbered on, Sakura took in the expression on his face. There was no anger, moodiness or hatred like back when they were Genin nor was there any sadness, guilt or regret for his past actions.

There was only… peace. Youth. Innocence.

Sakura didn't want to disturb his rest, so she quietly snuck past him and headed into the bathroom. There, she changed into her sleep clothes and got herself ready for bed. She yawned tiredly as she exited the bathroom and gently climbed onto the bed.

She slowly wrapped her arms around his waist and closed her eyes, falling into slumber with a sated smile on her lips.

Sakura woke to the feeling of being surrounded in warmth.

She smiled. Yesterday, she had drifted off with her arms wrapped around Sasuke and her whole body pressed against his back, but it seemed like sometime during the night their positions had reversed.

Now, he was the one spooning her.

As much as I would love to stay like this all morning… she thought with a rueful sigh. She couldn't stay, no. She had to get up, get dressed, make breakfast and head down to work. Otherwise Tsunade would have her head. She couldn't let herself be late or play hooky because the hospital was currently understaffed. With that thought in mind Sakura slowly started to make her way out of bed.

But alas, it was not meant to be.

As she attempted to extract herself from Sasuke's arms, they wound themselves even tighter around her waist. Sakura rolled her eyes heavenward and blew away a couple of stray pink locks from her face. Then, with a determined look, she tried to free herself again.

The end result was Sasuke growling in annoyance and pulling her closer.

He buried his face in the back of her neck and mumbled sleepily, "Mrs Uchiha, don't you even dare think of leaving me alone in this bed."

Sakura tried not to smile at how grumpy he sounded. It was adorable.

"Mr Uchiha," she replied mirthfully, "Let go. I have to get to work."

"Fuck work," was Sasuke's eloquent reply.

Sakura shook her head in amusement but as soon as her eyes landed on the clock, all traces of playfulness vanished. "Uchiha Sasuke. I'll give you until the count of three to let go of me or else…" Her voice was stern now.

"Uchiha Sakura," he replied in a tone just as dry, "We haven't seen each other in nearly 2 months. So I'll give you until the count of three to go back to sleep with me, and when we get up again we'll spend the day together. How's that sound?"

The pink haired medic let out a small huff of annoyance. "Right, don't say I didn't warn you," she muttered.

Within the next fifteen minutes, Sakura had already gotten ready for work while Sasuke was wide awake and glaring holes in her back. "Don't look at me like that Sasuke. We're understaffed right now, and you know how much my work means to me," she informed him primly as she eyed his reflection in the mirror.

"Tch," Sasuke muttered as he got out of bed, heading towards the bathroom with his civilian clothes in hand.

Sakura went to the kitchen to prepare a quick breakfast. As she was frying up some eggs and bacon, Sasuke came in, took a seat and quietly watched her while she worked. Once the meals were done Sakura handed a plate to her husband with a cheerful smile on her face. Instead of smiling back he glared at her. Sakura tried not to roll her eyes as she sat down and started eating.

Men could be so petty sometimes.

"So Sasuke…" she began after taking a bite of her eggs, "What are your plans for today while I'm gone?"

"…I'm not staying at home. Maybe I'll take a walk and meet up with the dobe for some drinks," he replied quietly.

Sakura bit her lip. "Right… since you only got back yesterday, you probably don't know this…" At Sasuke's raised brow she continued. "Naruto and Kakashi got sent on a diplomatic mission to Sunagakure a month ago. From what I've heard it'll take them about… 5 months, maybe 6 to complete it?"

Sasuke let out an irritated sigh. "Great. Means it's just the walk then…"

Sakura nodded and took a bite of her bacon, but when her eyes landed on the time, she swore. "Shit I'll be late!"

She quickly gobbled up the rest of her breakfast and began grabbing her things. On the way to the window, she gave Sasuke a quick peck on his cheek before she left the house without another word.

A few moments after her departure, Sasuke stared at the remains on his breakfast in distaste before pushing it aside. He let out a deep sigh as he tidied up the kitchen a bit before heading for the door. He made sure to lock it behind him as he left the apartment and made his way down to the streets. He picked a random direction and started walking, slowly taking in the sights and smells.

Sometimes, it gets so fucking lonely in there, he allowed himself to admit.

But hell would freeze over before Sasuke ever told Sakura that. He knew that husbands and wives weren't supposed to keep things like that from each other, but he hated showing weakness. He hated it so much that he never wanted to show that weak and pathetic side of himself to his spouse of all people. He had to protect her. He couldn't afford to be weak.

However, Sasuke thought wryly, he couldn't help but think that he and Sakura never acted like how a married couple should.

They both led busy lives – Sakura was one of the top healers while Sasuke was one of the most powerful Jounin Konoha had to offer – and so they rarely had the time to see each other, much less spend time together. Sasuke could go weeks or months without even seeing his wife because of all the missions he got sent on, and Sakura would always be caught up with either her patients, some medical research or something along those lines.

Sasuke knew of other couples who could find that perfect balance between working and spending time together (Shikamaru and Temari immediately came to mind), but somehow he and Sakura just couldn't be one of them.

Ever since they got married, sex was far and few between.

Normally, Sasuke wouldn't be bothered by something like this. In fact, he would have been perfectly content to even have just a lazy day in the house with Sakura. No thoughts of work between them. Only pleasant conversations, relaxation and a nice home-cooked meal.

But, even he had… needs, sometimes. As would any guy.

Heck, Sasuke's sex life was wretched to the point where he believed even Naruto was up to more naughty time with Hinata than him with Sakura. The Uchiha wondered at how miserable his marriage suddenly turned out to be.

When they were young and innocent… No, his mind corrected. He had not been innocent. For a time maybe, before the slaughter of his clan. But after that… no, he had not been innocent. Sakura had been the only innocent one among their team. Sakura, who had never known pain and suffering beyond compare. Sakura, who had never seen the utter dark side of human nature. Sakura, who had never needed to grow up before her time. Sakura. Young and innocent little Sakura.

Back then, she had chased after him like the rest of his fan-girls, and Sasuke had never paid much attention to her. Why should he?

Her infatuation, ignorance and childishness had gotten on his nerves, to be honest. Every time she had yelled 'Sasuke-kun!' in that simpering voice of hers, he wanted to slap her silly, tell her to shut the hell up and leave him alone.

For a brief moment of time, Sasuke had been so angry and resentful at her for having her innocence, when he, he, had been robbed of his. Once that resentment and anger had faded into indifference, he merely tolerated her presence because she was a member of his team.

But then, she started to grow up.

The first time he really, really, took notice and saw her in a different light was during the Chunin exams. The moment where she declared she didn't want people to fight for her anymore. Where she vowed to make herself a better Ninja and even sheared off her hair.

That was the moment he saw a glimpse of the woman she would become. He liked it.

After he left Konoha, he didn't see her again for a few years until she and Naruto came searching for him at Orochimaru's hideout. He remembered thinking how much more mature she had become, how much more beautiful. The crush she had on him also seemed to be gone too, so that was a good thing.

When he finally returned to Konoha, she was one of the few that genuinely welcomed him back with open arms. Sasuke found himself spending a lot of time with her as they searched for concrete evidence to clear his brother's name.

He remembered those days where they were both holed up in an office somewhere or a room in the Uchiha compound, pouring over mountains of scrolls for something that would help their case. Whenever they did find that something, her eyes would light up in such delight. A faint blush of triumph would appear on her cheeks and the smile she sent him always managed to thaw a bit of his frozen heart.

Those simple days spent with her had become some of his fondest memories.

He had fallen head over heels in love with her after that, and their courtship had been full of passion and fire. When they had finally wed, Sasuke thought himself to be the happiest man in the world. For a brief moment, he let himself believe that even after all the stupid mistakes he had made in the past, he could still have a happy ending.

That was a few months ago. And now…

To him, it seemed like Sakura took their marriage for granted. She didn't spend that much time with him and sometimes she could be so cold. Sasuke was not a needy man who needed her constantly by his side but sometimes he just missed her, damn it.

He missed hearing that funny chortle that she developed whenever she laughed for too long. He missed the feel of her body against his, how perfectly she seemed to fit in his embrace. He missed waking up to the smell of her hair in his face, but mostly he just missed her. Maybe it would have been better for them if they hadn't gotten married and just continued dating. Sakura had put in a lot more effort then…

Sasuke sighed again and let his eyes wander, hoping to find something to distract himself from his thoughts.

It was still early in the morning, so there weren't much people out. Most of his friends were probably still in bed, asleep. In fact, Sasuke was sure that he was the only one of his male friends who was awake at this time. Well, maybe Rock Lee. But he wasn't that close to the spandex wearing ninja.

Stupid dobe, he thought unreasonably. Why'd he have to go and get himself such a long ass mission?

Sasuke passed by an alley and from the corner of his eye he could see the figure of a person hunched over, throwing up miserably. He wrinkled his nose at the unpleasant smell and hastened his pace, eager to get away.

"Damn it…" he heard the person mutter, and Sasuke froze in his tracks.

He recognized that voice. He recognized that chakra signature.

The Uchiha turned slowly and stared. The alley was dimly lit but he could still make out a slender feminine shape with long black hair…

"Kagome?" he called out.

The figure, momentarily free from vomiting, turned to face him. Like Sasuke had thought, it was indeed her. "Sa-?!" Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but quickly looked away and retched again. The Uchiha quickly strode over to her, one hand holding her hair out of the way while the other rubbed soothing circles over her back.

"Are you all right?" he asked quietly.

He couldn't guess why she was throwing up. There wasn't the stench of alcohol on her, so that eliminated the possibility of being drunk. Maybe she had a stomach bug? Well, no matter the reason, first he had to get her to a doctor.

"Come on, I'll take you to the hospital," he told her after she finally stopped throwing up.

Kagome shook her head. "I'm fine Sasuke. I don't need a doctor."

Sasuke crossed his arms at her as she stood up straight. "Don't need a doctor?" he repeated dryly, "Kagome, you were puking your guts out for no apparent reason. And you're telling me you don't want to see a doctor?"

"I don't need a doctor. This is normal."

"Normal?" He raised his brow.

Sasuke didn't miss the brief look of panic on Kagome's face before it melded into one of casualness. "It's nothing," she replied nonchalantly, "I'm throwing up because of some bad sashimi I had yesterday. I thought it tasted funny but I just kept on eating. Well, serves me right for being such a glutton. Remind me never to shop from that fish stall at the end of my street again." She was babbling.

"Kagome, you only ramble when you lie," he pointed out sardonically.

"I'm not lying," she sniffed, turning away. Kagome absolutely, positively, did not want Sasuke to find out. If he knew… to put it simply it would cause all sorts of complications in her life. She didn't want him to know because if he did, he would help her.

Sasuke had always felt like he owed her and was obligated to take care of her because of… Well anyway, he was a married man now, so Kagome didn't want to trouble him. The raven haired woman tried not to panic as she saw him thinking. It sounded silly and impossible, but she could practically see the literal gears in his head turning as he slowly worked it out.

"Kagome…" Sasuke began, enunciating each word with care. "…Are you… pregnant?"

She knew that there was no point in denying it. She nodded and looked down to the ground.

Sasuke let out a deep sigh. "I feared as much." Then, he spoke in a gentler tone of voice, "Kagome, I want you to know that if you need any help in the future you can always come to me."

"I don't need your help with this Sasuke," she said slowly. "You have your own household to care for now. I'll be fine. Really. I just need a little time on my own to figure things out but other than that, I'm fine." Kagome saw that he wanted to argue with her so she cut him off. "Sasuke, I've told you this before. I know that you feel like you owe me a debt and you need to make it up to me, but you don't okay?" she stated softly, shaking her head, "I have never once thought that."

Sasuke stared at her with such an incomprehensible expression of sorrow on his face.

"But I…" he stopped and looked away, swallowing deeply. His throat had never felt drier than it did at that moment. "And you were…"

"Yes," Kagome agreed, her voice soft. "What you did may have left its scars but I'm better now. And I'm not angry nor do I blame you, Sasuke. I never have. What's done is done, and nothing can change that."

Sasuke shook his head stubbornly. "Just please let me help you Kagome. I need to help you. I need to. To ease this…" his breath hitched, and his hand clutched at the area over his heart. He looked like he was about to cry.

Their gazes finally met, and Kagome's heart gave a painful tug. She just couldn't say no to him, not when Sasuke was staring at her like that with his eyes.

"All right," she finally acquiesced. "Just don't expect me to make things easy for you."

Hi there my lovelies. Here's a revamped Chapter 1. :)

For simplicity's sake I'm going to call the original story Version 1.0 and the revamped one Version 2.0. Also makes it quicker for me to type.

Let's see. In this chapter, I made Sasuke reflect a bit more on his marriage with Sakura. I found it really lacking in Version 1.0. You couldn't really see what was it about her that made him fall in love, especially with how bitchy and unreasonable she was acting in Version 1.0 before the flashbacks. Yes. I'm definitely improving on her characterisation in this.

I cleaned up and added some more dialogue to Kagome and Sasuke's conversation. Some foreshadowing too. Hint: the 2nd last paragraph is a clue for something in a future chapter. ;)

I've also made improvements to Kagome's characterisation in future chapters. Before the flashbacks galore started, she really seemed quite oblivious to everything. That will change. I assure you, my pretties.

Please let me know what you think!

~Beans