Chichi - father

Hahaoya - mother

o.O.o

Chapter 12

Sakura woke without warning.

Darkness reigned outside, minus the twinkling of stars and the white light of the waxing moon. The moon sent uneven light cascading through the open bedroom window, the sill of which was powdered with fresh snow. It was completely silent outside, as every sound was muffled by the surrounding snowfall. Outside was cold but inside it was warm from the downstairs heater.

Panting, she rolled onto her side and into a sitting position with some difficulty, her bulging belly weighing her down. Sweat dripped from her forehead, which burned feverishly, and her hands shook as she grasped the edge of the bed. Her hair clung wet to her cheeks and snaked into her open mouth, allowing her to taste salt.

A nightmare had woken her. In her sleeping state, she'd been holding a baby, but the baby was blue and didn't draw breath. She was screaming at the lifeless form, willing it to wake, but pale white eyes stared up at her, unseeing. Then Lee took the child from her arms and walked away, hiding it from her. She tried to run after him but it was like her legs were stuck in quicksand. While she remained in place Lee was moving further away, taking her baby with him.

She'd opened her eyes then, finding herself drenched in sweat and panicking. Her eyes flicked to her phone, lit slightly on her bedside table, and saw it was only two in the morning.

Doubt washed over her. How could she possibly raise a baby at her age? At the very least, should she have considered adoption? She and Lee were way over their heads in this. How were they going to pay for everything? There was no way she was relying on Gai and her parents to pay for all the expenses. She should be doing this when she was thirty; when she had money in the bank and when she was financially secure. Lee was doing everything he could, but that couldn't possibly be enough.

Lee… if he wasn't with her, she wouldn't be able to do this. Fear struck her. What if he left? What if everything overwhelmed him and he just… left?

She knew that the pregnancy hormones messed with her, but she'd never imagined it to be that bad. Swallowing, she grabbed her phone and dialled a number she knew off by heart. Lee answered after ten rings, just when she was beginning to panic.

"Good morning, blossom," he yawned. "Are you alright?"

"Lee, are we in over our heads?" she whispered. "I don't know if we're ready or not. What if something happens?"

"Sakura-"

"How do I know we'll survive this? That you won't leave? I don't… I can't…" She blinked as the dial tone sounded in her ear. "Lee? Lee?" The phone slipped from her fingers and she pressed her hands to her round belly, sobbing. Well, she'd done it. She'd pushed him away with her own insecurities and it wasn't the first time. Sasuke hadn't liked her insecure moments and he told her so, which had widened the ever-growing rift between them when they were dating. What kind of girlfriend did that?

The wrong kind, she realised. She pressed gently on her belly and felt wetness from her tears trickling down the material of her pyjama shirt. It was Lee's child there – hidden by layers of skin and not fully-formed – and she wouldn't be able to raise her without him. Without Lee, she couldn't be a hahaoya. When had she become so dependant? Probably since she'd realised she loved him.

Gradually, as the minutes passed, her sobs settled and she laid back down in bed, drawing the duvet up to her chin. Her stomach bulged beneath the blankets and she stared at the fuzzy outline, squinting her eyes in order to see her five-months-pregnant belly in the limited moonlight.

The distinct sound of the front door opening pulled her from her reverie. She jumped slightly and laid her hands on her stomach, listening as the door squeaked shut. Her body froze with fear. Someone was in the house. Were they being robbed?

Soft footsteps moved up the hallway and Sakura's mouth went dry in terror. Ragged breaths reached her ear and she frowned slightly at the noise. The robber was being very loud.

Her bedroom door creaked open slowly and purposefully and she gathered her breath to scream. A shadowy outline moved into her room and closed the door behind it.

"Sakura," whispered a very familiar voice.

"Lee!" she squeaked. "I thought you were a robber!"

Lee made his way over to her bed, his breathing laboured, and sat beside her horizontal form. "I am not a robber."

She remembered their conversation and panicked slightly, fearing the worst. "Are you here because of what I said? I'm sorry if-" His finger touched her lips and she fell silent, staring up at where his eyes should be.

"Sakura, blossom, I am here because of what you said. I ran here as soon as I hung up because I had to be here in person. I have to be by your side when I say that we are ready for parenthood. No one can love our daughter as much as we and I will never turn away from either of you because I love you with everything I have. I may not be financially secure but I will do everything I can to ensure happiness to both of you."

More tears trickled down Sakura's cheeks and Lee gently wiped them away. She sniffled. "I'm sorry for being so stupid. What did I do to deserve you?"

"Do not apologise," he said softly, leaning down to kiss her. It would have been perfect, except that he kissed her chin by accident. They giggled together and he moved upwards, this time managing to find her lips. The kiss quickly became heated and Sakura threw the duvet and blankets away, giving him room to crawl in beside her. She shivered as his cold clothes pressed against her bare legs. He had definitely run over here. The gesture made her heart race.

"I was wondering if you could stay," she murmured, pulling back slightly.

"I am sure your parents would understand."

"I mean, stay with me."

He stilled "Oh."

"You know, before I get incredibly pregnant and can barely move, because after she's born we won't get any time alone."

His response was to wrap his icy arms around her and capture her lips again.

o.O.o

Ino stared around the Art room in awe, unable to believe that Sakura and Lee had actually gone along with their plan. The pair was nowhere to be seen, as were Hinata and Tenten. Where were they?

Speak of the devil! Both girls strolled through the door with bags slung over their shoulders. Tenten tackled Ino in a massive hug, almost knocking the blonde over. "Good morning Miss Ino!" the brunette greeted, grinning widely.

"You're happy," Ino stated, staring at her friends, "both of you. What happened?"

"Boyfriends," Hinata explained.

"Wait. So Kiba actually asked you out?!"

"Yes."

"And so did Neji?!"

"That he did."

Ino threw her arms up in the air. "Well I'll be damned! Since when did we all have boyfriends?"

Tenten frowned. "I… honestly don't know. I have no idea what my hahaoyas will say when I tell them…"

"Wait, you haven't told them?" Hinata's eyes were huge.

"Oh, and you've told your chichi about Kiba?"

Hinata looked at the floor. "No," she said in a small voice. "You know how my chichi gets."

"At least none of us are like Sakura." Ino shook her head. "My chichi would completely freak, your chichi would disown you and your hahaoyas' would be terrified."

"Sakura's lucky," Tenten said hotly. "So's Lee. They have great parents."

They fell quiet for a moment. "I miss them," Hinata admitted. "It doesn't feel right."

"I'm going to miss Lee in HPE class," Tenten sighed.

"And Sakura in Humanities." Ino hung her head. "Things are changing. They haven't changed since we were kids."

Tenten was always the brave one. She grabbed her friends' hands and grasped them tight. "We'll change with it. You know, it just so happens that our boyfriends are in the same friendship group. Would it really hurt if we joined them?"

Ino brightened. "That doesn't sound so bad. Where do they hang out?"

"In the school yard," Hinata piped up. "Neji's sort of the leader of their little group and I'm sure he'll let us hang out with them."

"Sounds like a plan." The trio high-fived.

o.O.o

Sunlight streamed into the room as Sakura slowly gain consciousness. Warmth filled her entire being and a beautiful feeling extended to the tips of her fingers. Smiling, she opened her eyes and tightened her grip on the arms around her waist. Lee shifted behind her and gently kissed the back of her head.

"Good morning blossom," he whispered. She sighed. Why couldn't all mornings be like this?

"Morning love."

He pulled his arms free and supported himself on his elbow, using his free hand to stroke her bare shoulder. His lips joined the hand and she closed her eyes at the contact. She'd never felt something so wonderful.

"How are you feeling?" he asked softly. "You were distressed earlier."

"I'm fine now," she assured him, shifting to the edge of the bed. "You saw to that. Thank you. I really needed it."

"As did I."

Sakura stood and immediately ducked back under the covers. "It's cold!" she whined, curling up against Lee's bare chest. He laughed and wriggled out from under the covers, standing barefoot on her carpet floor. Lee stretched and Sakura took a moment to admire his muscles as they flexed. His pyjamas were on the floor and he pulled them on leisurely, allowing Sakura as much time as possible to stare. "You've become a bit of a tease," she said huskily, drawing the blankets tighter around her.

"Only around the woman I love." He finished buttoning his flannelette shirt and sat on the side of the bed again, resting his hand on her shoulder. "School resumed today, and today is also our one-month anniversary."

"I hope the girls are okay," Sakura murmured anxiously. "I haven't seen them in a while."

"They will understand. You are five months pregnant!"

"Don't remind them." She sat up heavily, the blankets falling away from her top half, and shivered. "Where did I put my clothes?"

"In the wardrobe."

"Right." Sakura was quick to put on trousers and a loose-fitting jumper, as well as thick socks for her small feet. "How are we going to explain this to my parents?" she asked. "It's not… normal for you to pop up in the middle of the night."

"We will tell the truth." He grabbed her hand and gently pushed her from the room. "They will understand."

The couple wandered into the lounge room where only Mebuki sat, as Kizashi had already gone to work. She stared at Lee in surprise. "Hey Lee! When did you get here?"

"Between two o'clock and three o'clock this morning. Sakura was distressed."

"Blossom?"

"I… I had a bad dream. You know, just got a little overwhelmed with everything." She patted her belly with her free hand. Her stomach tremored. "Lee…" She gasped. "I think the baby just kicked!"

Lee emitted very girlish squeal and knelt in front of Sakura, pressing his ear to her belly. His eyes widened. "She is very strong." He stood and embraced Sakura, beaming. "I cannot believe it! She is kicking!" The couple laughed and Mebuki watched them fondly.

"We made the right decision," Sakura murmured into Lee's shoulder. "I am not giving up again, not ever."