For the most part, pregnancy had treated Sakura pretty well. She'd had a brief but vicious spate of morning sickness but that period had long passed. Her skin was radiant and her hair was growing faster than ever. The process had been very kind to her until somewhere in the 7th month. 'Things changed and fast.' She frequently found herself taking midday naps and all the added weight had caught up to her, by night her hips and back ached. 'At least I look nice.' Sakura consoled herself.
At her side, Sasori slumbered, smelling faintly of orange oil, beeswax and the usual blend of spices and wood that clung to him like a ghost. 'We could just buy furniture,' she mused, exasperated but admittedly touched. 'But no. He's got to labor in his own way.' From the rocking chair, shelves, changing table and crib her husband was adamant that everything in the nursery be made by hand— his, to be specific. 'Not that he's let me see any of it.' She got to pick the color and decor but until every last piece was finished and placed, she was barred from peeking.
Not that she hadn't tried. 'Those locks are really sturdy.' And she was trained to undo all sorts of security measures. 'I never failed to pick a lock in the academy.' Nor could she recall having trouble doing so during a mission. ' Breaking it open is not really an option.' Respecting boundaries aside, Sakura was pretty sure some preternatural alarm started going off in Sasori's head the moment she touched the door and as she well knew—he was fast.
Off work for at least the next few years and stuck waiting in a mostly patient manner, Sakura had to find things to keep herself occupied. She read, lounged, and puttered in the greenhouse, and played mahjong and board games with Chiyo and Ebizo. 'Every time I hang out with Kankuro he tries to slip in hints about Sasori and puppet brigade events.' Lately, he wasn't even trying to be subtle about it. 'What do I look like? A scorpion charmer?' Ok, maybe.
Even if she stepped in, Sakura doubted the lectures and tutorials would give the guild the boost Kankuro was looking for. 'The last time Sasori talked to a bunch of kids they unlisted from the academy in tears.' Her record was much better. Since she started doing workshops interest in becoming a medic-nin had gone up 25%, which wasn't much but was still a higher score than either Sasori's or Kankuro's. She was quite proud of herself.
Disinterest aside, her husband was busy with his strange array of work; pathology, and asset handling, keeping his tools in top shape and his house in order. There was likely a queue of unmentioned side projects lined up in his red-wreathed head too. 'A wonder how he finds the time to sneak around the village to hear the latest gossip and terrify the young and old alike.' We can't have them thinking I've gone soft somewhere between marriage and a baby, now can we? They'd never leave us alone. He'd tutted and scoffed as if she were a willing participant in his mischief.
If Sasori were any busier with the additional work he'd taken on, he hardly showed it. 'Sometimes he spends a little too long in the workshop.' Thanks to her temporary ban, she couldn't go in but Sakura could and did stand outside the door whining until he put away his tools and toys to join her on the surface world. The work that occupied him would be done shortly—or so she'd been told. 'For someone who hates waiting and keeping people waiting, he's been pretty vague about the completion date.'
Still for all his odd methods Sakura adored him. 'Even if he is a worrywort nag.' And even though she was increasingly uncomfortable in her own skin her want of him had hardly slacked. 'I guess that hasn't changed for him either.' He was sleeping pretty well in the afterglow. Given that and how tired she was lately, she should have been fast asleep at his side. It was only a few minutes shy of midnight but as she stared at her husband's eyelids, her thoughts turned to another love. 'Croquettes. Oh! Sweet potato… roasted, or better yet; candied .' Sakura's mouth watered. 'Strawberry ice cream with umeboshi.' That was a weird one but she wanted it nonetheless. 'Pork bun...' Pillowy, sweet and savory steamed fluff.
As restless as his mother, the baby inside her shifted. The added pressure against her bladder urged Sakura to sit up and the hand that'd been at her waist slid over the rounded curve of her belly.
Ever a light sleeper, Sasori twitched, eyelids creaking half open. The elysian expression he slumbered with went stormy in the scant pull of a few muscles. His fingers clenched, grasping at the fabric of her nightdress. "Stay." He mumbled, voice sticky with sleep, his grip possessive.
Sakura's hand found his, her fingers tracing lightly over his knuckles as she leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to his brow. "I have to pee," she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath against his skin. His grip eased, fingers loosening one after the other. "I'll be back." She was half worried he'd follow her but the tension melted from his face, his features softened under her touch once more, and a familiar warmth bloomed in her chest. Even half-asleep, he kept her close, reluctant to let go.
As she slipped free from his loosening grip, Sakura stifled a smile. For all his sharp edges and stubborn ways, there was a softness to Sasori that she loved fiercely. She smoothed an errant lock of scarlet from his brow before slipping loose. She went off to the bathroom, relieved her poor squished bladder and washed her hands. Truly, she had every intention of going straight back to bed but…Visions of sugared treats and carbohydrate-laden food kept waltzing through her mind's eye.
So, employing all the silent agility that'd been trained into her at an early age, Sakura took a little detour. The floorboards were cold and she missed the warmth of her bed already. She was slower and it took more effort than in the previous months, her balance changed by the growing weight at her center. Carefully, she avoided the creaky floorboard at the top of the landing and the middle step, moving with soft deliberation until she reached the kitchen. Once she crossed that threshold, Sakura let herself relax, feeling a surge of satisfaction at her successful, if slower-than-usual, stealth mission. 'I still have it.' Her nose tipped into the air pridefully. 'Now, what do we have?'
The fridge was full of neatly stacked glass containers, each labeled with the contents and dates: A myriad of pickled vegetables, leftover curry and rice, a spice-laden chicken stew and a garlicky bean dip popular in the Land of Wind. 'I'm lucky he's like this,' she mused, feeling a swell of affection and mild exasperation at his careful labeling. She could practically hear him lecturing her on proper food storage as she leaned in, her eyes flicking over the selections. There was fruit salad and a container of exorbitantly expensive strawberries that she gave deep consideration to.
But what she craved wasn't there. No pillowy, warm bread, no roasted sweet potatoes, no candied anything—nothing that would satisfy her sudden, oddly specific longing. She turned to the cookie jar but the last of them were gone leaving only crumbs behind. "Hmph." Her hands fisted against her hips. 'Alright, secret stash time.' It was for emergencies. 'Carbs fuel the body, and sugar sweetens the soul.' Sakura told herself as she, with great effort stretched her arm into the deep, thin crevice between the fridge and the counter.
Where there should have been a half-eaten box of cereal with marshmallow bits with candy and junk food piled on top was a whole lot of nothing. Her hand scrambled around until she felt something papery stuck to the wall and drew it out. A sticky note; Your garbage is in another castle. Sasori's way of writing was sharp and razor thin, characters spaced close together to maximize the available space.'Oh, he thinks he's clever, huh?' she thought, mildly vexed. As if to tease her, he'd even included a caricature of the face he'd predicted she'd make—pouting, brow scrunched and fists clenched. 'Cute.'
With a resigned sigh, she stuck the note onto the fridge door and gave it a light pat, silently vowing to repay him for his misdeeds. 'I'll have to find a new spot.' Sakura opened the fridge again and took out the bin of strawberries. They were bright red, plump and perfectly ripe, the scent alone enough to sway a nibble from her. She took a bite, expecting to savor the burst of sweetness, and while they were delicious, they did nothing to slake her cravings. 'It's just not right,' she thought with a frown.
A few strawberries rolled off the top and onto the floor when she went to put the container away, landing with soft thuds. Sakura huffed and stared down at them in disappointment. 'Well, that's where they'll have to stay until Sasori comes to pick them up.' She wasn't stooping to pick them up. Desire unfulfilled, even the child inside her seemed fit to throw a tantrum, squirming and jabbing at her ribs and his increasingly tight confines. "Okay, I get it." Sakura's breath hitched. "I think you're the one who wants sweet potatoes." A breathy giggle burst from her lips, fingers scrying across her stomach in search of where the next kick would come from.
"Where oh where can mommy find you something good…" Even in a ninja village except for taverns and bars, most businesses would be shut up for the night. "Well, there is one place that's always open.' Struck by a bold idea, Sakura straightened up. 'We can go to the convenience store.' The thought sent a thrill of excitement through her. 'A midnight adventure for completely necessary sustenance!' A few paces out of the kitchen, she glanced up towards their bedroom, listening carefully for any signs of Sasori stirring. As far as she could tell, he remained blissfully unaware, lost in sleep.
With luck and no small measure of skill, he'd stay that way. If he didn't try to talk her out of it, he'd critique every snack she chose. 'Or stare disapprovingly while I eat!' Sakura hated that.
With a grin, she tiptoed to the front door, her heart racing with anticipation. Previously barefoot, she quickly clothed her feet in fluffy shearling slippers, their warmth a welcome shield against the cold. Searching for a coat, she felt frustration bubble up when only the button directly under her bust could be fastened after much tugging. 'So fat,' she thought with a scowl and tossed the offending red garment to the floor. 'I'm starting to regret burying the traditional robe in the upstairs closet. It was just so…unstylish.' In the end, she swiped Sasori's seldom-used jacket. It was a tight squeeze but she managed to button it all the way, feeling accomplished and ridiculous in the process.
Ready for her stealth mission, she quietly opened the door and stepped out into the brisk, night air. "Just a quick trip," she reassured herself, her excitement bubbling up. "I'll be back before he notices." She left the trio of houses on the hill for the main road, gritting her teeth as a particularly chilly burst of wind blew over her. 'Even after living here for years I can never get used to how different the night and day are here.' But if Sakura had to pick, she'd always choose to be cold rather than baking under the sun.
The streets were quiet, illuminated only by the soft glow of street lamps and the full, round moon that looked about as big as Sakura felt. Most people who were up were on duty or looking to retire to their own beds with the same eagerness she hastened towards her destination. The nighttime chorus of desert creatures and churring insects fell into a suspenseful hush. Noting the silence, Sakura came to a halt in the middle of the sidewalk and looked around. It could have been anything—a Shinobi passing over the rooftops or turning down an alley. She couldn't quite put a finger on where the disturbance had come from.
An owl hooted above her from an electric post and the nocturnal noises rang out once more. 'Hm.' She shrugged and carried on. Moving at a brisk pace for a very pregnant woman, Sakura ignored the throb in her lower back and doggedly carried on, determined to make good time. 'The faster I get there, the sooner I can snack and get back.' Each step felt lighter as she imagined the feast that awaited her.
Automatic doors slid open with a welcoming ding, and like the gates of heaven opening, bright, white fluorescent lights flooded out. The wave of warmth and light felt almost magical, and Sakura couldn't help but let out a soft, delighted sigh as she stepped inside.
One of the cashier's peaked up from their magazines and cringed. 'Oh, not her again .' It wasn't Sakura's fault that her husband was like a mean little dog—nay! A demon , who tended to follow at her heels. 'Forget barking he goes straight for the bite!' She eyed the door, expecting the woman's shadow to show up close behind her. 'The last time he walked in here the newbie quit.' She had to scramble to find a new temp worker.
"Miss manager, " The aforementioned replacement began nervously. Everyone knew who their current patron's husband was, the pair was infamous. "We should tell her there's been a sudden outbreak of listeria and close the shop," he whispered. Something red blurred past the large, state-of-the-art glass windows but when he did a double take, there was nothing to be found. 'The doors would have opened if someone was out there.' He shrugged it off.
Oblivious to their wary gaze, Sakura skipped the exotic selection of lizard jerky and fried bugs, booking it straight past them, basket in hand.
Strawberry milk and sweet potato cookies, umeboshi onigiri and rice crackers, chestnut flavored marshmallows, and various chocolates to be hidden away later were gathered. 'Oh, pumpkin bread.' Sakura thought, dropping the package among the rest of her treasures. Sakura's mouth watered just looking at the colorful assortment she'd collected, each item a little victory in her midnight hunt. She made a beeline for the cash register where the fried foods and steamed buns awaited.
There were so many flavors, the traditional pork buns, cheese, curry, and pizza. 'The seasonal flavors though…' Sakura had a hard time choosing just one. 'Sweet potato or chestnut…' She stood before the display, hand at her chin as she thought about the decision. "Just give me two of every one." She said after a moment or two.
The manager had never answered his question and so, the young man began to flounder. "Every one?" The newest store attendant repeated. 'Will Akasuna-sama deduct 5 years from our lives for each one she eats?' Fuck, he was only 18. 'Maybe I would have had a higher life expectancy if I'd become a shinobi after all…'
"..." Sakura's eyes narrowed at him. "Do you think there's a problem with that?"
Tossing aside her magazine, the manager rose from her seat with a sigh and adjusted her name tag so that it sat straight. "I'll be happy to take care of you." She'd lived a reasonably good life. A single tear trickled down her face. "Is there anything else I could get for you?." The customer was their joy. Or so the motto went at HotSpot, Suna's only chain of convenience stores.
Sakura beamed and the air around her seemed to sparkle. "Can I have that," She pointed at a fried croquette in the display. "But right now. Please." She pleaded, eyes bright and shiny.
"Aw~ Sure can!" The manager's heart nearly melted. 'For a pregnant woman, she's adorable.' She used a pair of tongs and slid the fried potato cake into a wrapper before handing it over.
Even the temporary replacement felt pangs of guilt for having thought to deny Sakura her heart's desire. 'Is that guy even feeding her? Maybe she just has no appetite around him.' The guy played with corpses. 'I struggle to eat anything his hands make too.' Wise, considering he was also a well-known poison master.
The croquette was reduced to nothing but bread crumbs seconds after hitting Sakura's hand.
Popping her basket on the counter to be checked out, Sakura pressed a hand to the small of her back. 'I never used to hurt.' She missed that. "Oh, and you can leave one of those containers out." she pleaded, eyes drifting away from watching them pack away the warm bread. In the glass display, she caught a glimpse of red hair behind her reflection and her heart seized. 'Oh no!' But the man who rounded the corner was not her husband but his cousin, clutching a cup of spicy instant ramen and ready to eat, prepackaged meat. "Gaara!" She breathed a sigh of relief. "What are you doing up this late? Early?" She wasn't sure which was the more appropriate term.
If he had defined brows, their raising might have been noteworthy but alas, the Kazekage had none. "Working late, full moon." Despite reaching a peaceful accord with the beast inside him, something about the phenomena continued to keep him awake. "I'd ask what's brought you out, but I think I know.' His teal eyes drifted towards her still growing belly. 'What I don't know is where her worst half is.' Sasori had been clingy and protective before she was with child and it'd only gotten worse. 'I do not fault him.' Gaara often wondered if his mother had been as radient when she'd carried him but knowing how things had turned out, his thoughts would soon turn to worry. 'Fear for her, terror for what might come if something goes wrong.'
A yawn escaped Sakura's lips.
"Lady Haruno?" The cashier manager called, offering up Sakura's bagged goods and a noisy plastic container full of piping hot buns.
Sakura reached into her husband's pockets and pulled out the stash of emergency funds he kept inside. 'Love that man.' she thought, a mischievous grin creeping at the corner of her mouth. 'It's only fair after that little prank with the note,' she justified, handing the bills over to the cashier and retrieving her change. 'And what's his is mine.' as it had been promised.
"I can walk you." Gaara offered, though he'd originally planned to eat his noodles in the store where he would savor the flavor of peace. "If Sasori learns I failed to offer, he'll be in my office by morning."
Hand stuffed inside the container to snag a bright orange bun, Sakura scoffed, offended that someone thought she needed a chaperone to walk the 15 minute trek home. "I got here on my own two legs, I can get back on my own!" Her yell was muffled, mouth stuffed with warm, springy bread and creamy sweet potato filling. Her cheeks puffed indignantly as she backed out of the automatic doors.
"...Okay." Gaara conceded, he waited for a beat and then closed one of his eyes. 'I'll watch until she's safely home.' His third eye was far enough away that Sakura would never notice but through the manipulation of sand and optic nerves, he saw the figure that moved ahead of her and knew there was no need.
In the time that it took her to get home, Sakura had chugged down the milk, polished off three buns, and was working on the fourth. 'They're so warm!' Little puffs of steam plumed into the cold air with every bite, warming her hand and face. They'd been exactly what she was looking for. The taste of pork and five spice lingered on her tongue.
Bun clutched between her teeth, she freed a hand to turn the handle, already scheming about a good hiding spot for her new house was as dark and quiet as she'd left it. So focused on scarfing down food and finding some new, secret hovel to hide her goodies, the coat missing from where she'd carelessly tossed it to the floor went unnoticed. She made it a few steps past the entryway when—slam! The door shut firmly behind her. "Eeek!" Sakura nearly dropped all that she gained in her haste to twist and face the door, hand pressed against her swollen belly protectively. "You!"
Like some nocturnal predator's gaze, Sasori's eyes gleamed like copper in the dim light of an errant moonbeam.
"Yes, poor forgotten me ," Sasori murmured, voice as dry as desert sand. In the time since she'd last seen him sleeping in bed, he'd added a sweater to his ensemble. The red hair that Sakura so adored was ruffled chaos. "Enjoy your midnight stroll?" His lip curled derisively.
Sheepishly, Sakura offered up the last pork bun—his favorite. "I brought this for you! And it wasn't really a stroll so much as a necessary errand!"
Sasori only sneered at the offering. "I don't eat garbage." While it was true that he liked them, he'd never eat one from a convenience store. 'No matter how much has changed, I won't start now either.' There was no telling how many hands had touched it or what was in it. 'I wish she hadn't eaten any of them herself but there's nothing to be done about it now.' He would have swatted the offensive offering out of her hand if not for the fact that he'd have to pick it up. 'And for the threat of tears.'
The unsubtle slant of his lips told the tale of how displeased he was with her late-night wanderings. 'I can get myself out of this.' Sakura thought, scurrying towards him. "I really couldn't help it." She whined, nuzzling her head against his jaw like a cat eager to be pet, she cuddled near him, arms thrown over his shoulder. 'His skin is cool.' Like he'd been outside.
"You said you were going to the bathroom, not on a midnight stroll." Sasori had always found it difficult to stay mad at her but there was no reason for her to know that. His face stayed still and impassive even as his head canted closer, cheek pressed to the mess of pink, wind tussled tresses.
Defensively, she blabbered on. "It's your fault! The cookie tin was empty!" She accused, poking a finger into his cheek. He was supposed to make more to fill the container and hadn't. "And you stole my emergency snacks!" Sakura whined. "I had no choice! You and the baby drove me to it!" She gestured down to the swell that stretched fabric and buttons alike. 'Okay, maybe it's a little low to blame someone who hasn't even been born yet.' She didn't want to give the kid a complex in utero. "You're a good baby," she whispered towards the large bump.
"Yes, I'm the villain here." Nimbly, Sasori's fingers plucked at the overtaxed buttons of his coat. 'She's outgrown the alternations of her own.' Not that he'd say a word about that. He had intended to replenish the jar of sweets but found himself waylaid in the process. 'Not entirely my fault.' They'd both been active participants in the distraction. 'And I certainly confiscated that overly processed, mass-produced bile she insists on hiding away.' But that had been for her, and their offspring's own good. 'Admittedly, the gloating was for my benefit.'
"...If you don't want it, can I eat it?" Sakura asked after the second undone closure.
"That will make number five." Sasori noted. "Another couldn't possibly do more damage." He sighed.
Sakura's teeth were just about to sink into the fleshy bread when she had a pertinent realization. "You followed me!" she gasped. 'How else could he know how many I had?' And then there was that vague presence she'd felt as she'd walked the street. "Sneak!"
"One more misdeed to lay at the feet of this foul villain," Sasori admitted, a smirk cutting into the edge of his lips. "And it takes one to know one." he tapped a finger against the tip of her pert nose.
"I knew it." Sakura muttered, taking another bite. 'It's gone cold.' The luster wore off just like that and all she was left with was aches and pains. She had to force herself to scarf down the rest and tucked the crumpled-up paper bottom in a coat pocket. Even eating for two her eyes had ended up bigger than her stomach.
Sasori's fingers marched on to the next button. "Poor thing." he spoke, looking to the stifled bump between them. "Stuffed in a coat when you should be safely tucked in bed." The last of the closures were undone. 'How did she even fit in this?' He knew better than to voice the question. 'Just last week the old witch had her waddling home wailing over some perceived slight about her size.' It'd put him in the odd position of defending his grandmother. 'Terrible experience.' He would have been happy to let Sakura hate that horrible hag, but she'd cried nearly nonstop and he didn't have the fortitude to withstand it.
Yawning, stripped bare of her borrowed coat and plastic bag, Sakura had to concede that bed did sound nice, but as her eyes wandered towards the staircase, her face twisted into a grimace. "Why are there so many?" She groaned in misery. She glanced at the couch. "Looking pretty comfy."
"Absolutely not." Sasori huffed, following her line of sight. "We're going back to sleep, in our bed."
"I can't." Sakura theatrically wilted on her feet, only Sasori's locking arms prevented her purposeful fall onto the couch. Pulling her upright in his steady embrace.
"Such dramatics," he murmured. "You'd think I'd asked you to scale a mountain."
"That's what it feels like!" Sakura replied voice muffled in his shoulder. She gave him a half-hearted glare, the fatigue, and full stomach making her petulant. "I'll never make it," she said, falling limp in his arms with all the weariness of a woman facing her doom.
A subtle smirk tugged at Sasori's lips. He bent slightly, scooping her up before she could protest further. Arms thrown around his neck, Sakura stifled her giddy squeal against his collar. She was a woman who could crush boulders and make craters the size of meteors impacts, turn mountains into mole hills and lift trees as big as ship masts to use as a bat if she so chose. 'I can punch rib cages in and then put all the pieces back just the way they were.' Destruction and regeneration both laid in the palm of her hand. ' But …What woman doesn't love to be princess carried? I wouldn't believe anyone who said otherwise!'
Except one issue weighed on Sakura. "I…I'm not heavy am I?" She sniffled, bottom lip aquiver, waiting for the cold hard truth to burst from his lips.
Heavier to be sure, but nothing that made their journey up the steps and to their room arduous. "If I couldn't carry you, I'd be a poor excuse for a Shinobi and an even worse husband." Sasori declared, skillfully sidestepping the issue of weight entirely. "You've always stunned me," he said, soft affection clinging to his words. "In more ways than one and that will never change."
In the dark, the blush that colored her cheeks would surely go unnoticed. "I'm sure," Sakura said, skeptically pleased by the answer. 'Seeing a fat whale toddle around the desert probably is a stunning sight.' Still, she hoped he meant it in the nicest sense, rather than her self-deprecating reading of the words. Her bottom hit the mattress and she allowed herself to collapse bonelessly into the bedding. The cool sheets were quick to soak up her warmth and reflect it back.
Sasori's hand slid down her ankle, fingers skimming over the tops of her feet as he collected her slippers and tossed them elsewhere. "Much better." He thoroughly approved of her laying in bed. 'It's pleasant, only to be improved with my addition.' Disposing of the junk she'd brought back was a task best suited for later.
With a bit of twisting and heavy pillow manipulation Sakura made herself comfortable, humming appreciatively when Sasori slid beneath the comforter behind her, multiplying the warmth of their bed. 'Feels just right.' As if she were Goldilocks, full of the perfect porridge and having found the bed that was just right for her.
"Next time you go out walking after midnight," Sasori murmured against the crossroads of her neck and ear. "Be sure to take me with you." His voice was laced with quiet resolve. "Anywhere you go, let me go too." He pressed a kiss to her hair as if sealing the promise, unwilling to let her roam the world alone. 'Otherwise, I'll have to make sure there's where for you to run to.' Starting with that local cesspit they called HotSpot. 'Terrible name.'
Finding her eyelids unbearably heavy, Sakura stopped fighting to keep them open and let out a soft, satisfied sigh. "But you looked so peaceful…sweet." Her aches and pains dulled into something fuzzy and far off. Words slurred as sleep dragged at her, melting her sense of time into the softness of the bed.
"I can only be those things when you're at my side." The weight of his words was lost on Sakura, her steady breathing the only reply. His hand caressed over the ample swell of her stomach, curling to a rest beneath her bust. He buried his face amongst her hair and counted the beats of her heart until the cadence of his own fell into its rhythm.
Tomorrow he would show her his finished work, but plans and schemes were cares for another time.
Easily slips into Stupid With Love's future right along with "For Love And Honor"
As in Strawberry Milk, the unborn baby is named Senya. Born October 25 as another Scorpio (just barely) …My AU's are all alternate universes of one another 😶
Sasori eventually buys up HotSpot, mulls changing the name to "Hell" and bans Sakura from the premises (unbeknownst to her.) There is a picture of her in the manager's office like she's some kind of escaped house cat reading "Do not feed, is not starving. Call xx-xxxx-xxxx to return. Don't believe her lies."
Someday I will write about the time Chiyo "Called" Sakura fat and it was the first and only time she agreed with Sasori that his Granny was "mean". Sakura cried so much and stopped eating Sasori had to fix the misunderstanding.
He became a Chiyo defender, A true testament to how much he loves his wife3