"Just Carrying it for a Friend" Chapter 8

Sasuke and Sakura agreed to meet at a cafe near the hospital the next morning after Yasuo woke up. Sakura didn't want to chance any of the Uzumakis seeing her. They didn't know about her pregnancy, and especially with everything that had gone on the last few days, she wasn't going to risk them jumping to any conclusions.

"Why am I not going to school today?" Yasuo asked as Sasuke drove his car to the cafe. "Isn't that why my mom left me with my auntie and uncle?"

"We're going to the hospital to run a little test," Sasuke explained. "You remember the doctor you saw the first time you went there, right?"

"The fat pink lady?"

Sasuke clicked his tongue. It was probably a good thing that Sakura declined his offer for a ride. "She's pregnant, not fat. But yeah, that's who I'm talking about."

"Why am I seeing her? I'm not sick or anything. All of that was a joke before."

"It's just a test to check on something. I'm getting it done too, so it's nothing to get worked up about."

The car fell silent as Yasuo looked down at his lap. He had his brows furrowed, deep in thought.

"It's to see if you're my dad, isn't it?" The young boy asked after a few moments of being silent.

Sasuke glanced at the rear view mirror at the child in the back seat, caught off guard by his question. "How did you know?"

"I heard you guys talking last night."

"Ah." Sasuke nodded. They weren't being quiet the night before, so it made sense that he had heard them.

Silence came again until Sasuke slowed to a stop in the parking lot of the cafe.

"Look, Yasuo... About all of this-"

"If you're my dad, then why didn't you ever come for me?" Yasuo looked up at the raven-haired man. His throat was tight, and his eyes burned. He didn't understand why he was crying.

"You know how my mom is!" Yasuo started yelling. "And it's not fair! All of my classmates have had dads! Why was I not good enough until now?!"

"Yasuo, calm down!" Sasuke snapped at him, causing the boy to sink back into the seat in shock over the man's tone of voice. Sasuke swallowed hard. "I didn't know about you until the other day. Even then, I don't know for sure if I'm your dad. That's why we're getting that test done today."

Yasuo looked away. "So if I'm not your son, I'm not your problem. Is that why you want to get this test done?"

"No, it's nothing like that." Sasuke reached out and put his hand on Yasuo's head. "Yasuo, the reason I'm getting this test done isn't just to know if I'm your father. It's to help you. Do you want to stay with your mother?"

Yasuo looked down. "She's not ever around, so it doesn't matter."

"Then if, and I'm saying if I'm your dad, I can go to court to have custody transferred over to me."

Yasuo's eyes widened. "You mean... I'd live with you?"

"If a judge saw me fit to let me have you, then yes." Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck. "But if I'm not, then that's for your auntie and uncle to work out with your mother and your real father."

Sasuke gave Yasuo a final pat on his head before opening his door. "Now, let's go get some food. I think we've had her waiting long enough."

Yasuo raised a brow in confusion. "Her?"

"Ah... Yeah." The Uchiha hesitantly answered, remembering that he didn't tell Yasuo that they were meeting with Sakura. "The doctor you met before is my girlfriend. We're meeting her here."

Yasuo's opened his mouth in shock. "You mean you're having a baby with her?!"

Sasuke put his hands up in a defensive manner. "It's not mine. It's for her friends. It's a complicated situation."

"There's a lot of those around you." Yasuo wrinkled his nose. He opened his own door and they exited the car.

When they entered the cafe Sasuke couldn't help but smirk at the pinkette who was on the other side of the room, digging into her food. It was as he predicted.

He waited until she was mid-bite to sit in front of her. She looked up at the Uchiha with wide green eyes as if she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Yasuo I'd like for you to officially meet my girlfriend, Sakura Haruno." He gave her a playful smirk as she did her best to swallow the food she had stuffed in her mouth.

Yasuo laughed in response. The woman was obviously not prepared for a conversation.

"You're cruel," She choked out after she took a drink of water. "You waited for me to do that, didn't you?"

"It's possible." Sasuke chuckled and reached across the table to brush some rice out of her hair. "You just couldn't wait for us to get here, could you?"

Sakura's cheeks pinkened with embarrassment and grumbled. "You try being pregnant and seeing and smelling everything that they're making back there."

"Isn't a doctor supposed to eat things like green peppers and broccoli?" Yasuo questioned as if he was challenging Sakura's knowledge. "My teacher says that things like that can lead to heart disease."

Sakura's brow twitched in response. "Your teacher is a smart woman, however, moderation is okay."

Sasuke watched the two interact with amusement evident on his face. The day was going to prove to be more interesting than he thought it would.

"Excuse me, sir." A waitress had sauntered her way over to the table.

Sakura narrowed her eyes, knowing it was the same one that had come to serve her before. She had taken her hair down and put on light makeup when she noticed Sasuke walk in. It was as if the pinkette was invisible to her.

"May I take your order?"

Sakura wanted to gag. The woman was trying way too hard.

Being a frequent visitor to the cafe, everyone knew her as one of the doctors. Since she had shown up by herself, they assumed that Sasuke was a friend coming by for a chat. Plus, she was pregnant way before this guy came along. There was no way that they would have realized that the doctor and the Uchiha were an item.

"Why are you sticking your chest out like that?" Yasuo peeked from next to Sasuke with an eyebrow raised in confusion.

Sakura covered her mouth to stop a laugh from escaping. That was the ultimate defeat when a child was able to call you out like that.

The waitress paled when she noticed the same look on Sasuke's face. He definitely wasn't interested, and all of the work that she had done was for nothing.

"I'll have whatever my girlfriend is having," Sasuke answered, bringing the woman back to reality.

"G-girlfriend?" Her brown eyes went wide as she looked over to Sakura, who just gave a polite smile and shrugged as if nothing had happened.

"I want pancakes with extra syrup!" Yasuo exclaimed with a grin.

"Aren't you the one that was complaining that I wasn't eating something healthy earlier?" Sakura narrowed her eyes at the kid.

"Yeah, but I'm not a doctor." Yasuo stuck his tongue out at the woman.

"Okay, one plain breakfast platter and pancakes coming right up." The waitress quickly wrote in her book practically ran back to the kitchen.

Sakura continued with her breakfast while the other two waited on theirs to be served.

"So you said that we have to wait at least an hour after we're done here, right?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura nodded in response. "Yeah, we want to make sure that your samples aren't tainted with traces of food."

"Ah." He said in understanding. "So, I was thinking we could go to the park for a little while. What do you think?"

"Yeah! If it's the one that we passed by that has the huge octopus on it, I'm in!" Yasuo beamed.

"I'm okay with it, too." Sakura smiled, her heart warming to actually see that the kid wasn't always a smart ass, and was actually pretty normal.

Breakfast wasn't too eventful after that. Sasuke paid the bill for all three meals, despite Sakura's protest that she was capable of paying for herself, and they all got into his car and drove to the park near the hospital.

Yasuo took off in a run to the giant octopus in the center as soon as Sasuke put the car in park.

"Be careful, Yasuo!" Sasuke called after the boy as he and Sakura walked in the same direction. They took a leisurely pace, enjoying each other's company.

"Yeah, yeah. I will!" The red-headed child called over his shoulder with a grin.

Sakura giggled. "You know, even if he's not yours, you'll still be a great father one day."

Sasuke raised his brow. "Where did that come from?"

"I just like seeing the way you watch over him is all," She smiled.

The couple took a seat on a nearby bench and watched Yasuo climb to the top of the giant stone sea creature's head.

He waved wildly at them to show off his accomplishment, and they waved back in response.

"Sometimes he reminds me of Naruto," Sasuke said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess that's part of the reason I get along with him so well."

"He sure does have the same energy as Naruto," Sakura laughed. "And his goofy grin."

Sakura laid her head on Sasuke's shoulder and sighed contently.

"Sakura..." Sasuke stroked his thumb over her hand that he held. "What will you do if Yasuo turns out to be my son?"

"I already told you," Sakura snorted as if he had asked her a stupid question. "I'm going to support you no matter what."

Sasuke was silent for a moment as he kept his eyes on Yasuo. He was now swinging upside down from one of the tentacles.

"What if he's not?" Sakura finally asked. "You said that Naruto's parents are kind of reluctant about raising another child. I don't really blame them for not wanting to, but if that Karin woman is as wild as you've made her out to be, he'll need a stable home."

"They'll work to find out who his biological father is if that's the case." Sasuke sighed. "They'll try and bring him into the picture and talk him into taking Yasuo if they think he's a responsible enough guy."

"Ah. I see." Sakura looked down. "Would you be okay with that?"

Sasuke shrugged. "To be honest, I don't know. I only just met the kid, and it's not like I'm any good with kids in general. Plus, he's in this in-between stage. He's not this little baby that doesn't know anything, but at the same time he doesn't know anything about the world around him."

"But you still feel that there's something about him." Sakura more stated than asked seeing the way Sasuke watched the boy.

"Exactly." He nodded. "I don't know if it's because I know how Karin is, or if it's because I've read up on cases like his. I just feel sorry for him. It's not his fault he has a shitty mother, and if I can at least take him away from that kind of environment, then maybe he'll be able to break the cycle Karin's mother started."

"The Uzumaki family is your family, Sasuke. I can understand where you're coming from." Sakura lightly squeezed his hand.

Sasuke turned and placed a kiss on her head. "You have the patience of a saint."

Sakura snorted. "Believe me, I don't. You'll see what I mean when we get to the hospital. Everything always goes to shit when I'm gone, and I'm sure today isn't any different."

"What makes you say that?"

"My temporary replacement is in charge today like he has been every day I'm off lately. The board wants him to 'get used to his staff'." The pinkette rolled her eyes. "Let's just say that he and I don't see eye to eye."

"Ah." Sasuke nodded.

"Is that your son over there?" A woman with a stroller asked as she nodded over to Yasuo.

The couple blinked for a moment, not knowing how to answer her question.

"Did he do something wrong?" Sasuke asked.

"Not at all! I was just going to say that he's really talented." She gave a hearty laugh. "I teach gymnastics, so I was watching how well he was balancing himself."

Sakura let out a breath she was holding, knowing how horrible Yasuo could be. She was glad that it was someone praising his talents instead of scolding the young couple for not keeping a better eye on him.

"I'm sure your little one will be just as acrobatic, don't you think?" The young mother continued on.

Sakura blushed. "I'm actually a surrogate for one of my friends. It's not ours."

"That's so kind of you!" The mother clapped her hands in delight. "Either way, congratulations."

"Thank you." Sakura smiled.

The woman's baby started to fuss, causing her to give a small frown.

"Sorry, I have to cut my conversation short. Being a mom is hard work, you know."

Sasuke and Sakura said their farewells to the woman as she walked away as fast as she had appeared.

Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a little uncomfortable because of the thoughts the woman had brought on.

"Could you imagine?" Sakura shook her head. "If this was our kid, I don't think I could do it."

Sasuke raised his brow in confusion. "Do you not want kids?"

"No, no!" Sakura put her hands up in defense. "That's not what I meant at all... What I mean is, I just don't think I'd be able to do it living on my own and everything."

"I'd never let you live on your own." Sasuke scoffed. "I'd marry you as soon as the test turned positive."

Sakura's blush deepened. "Wh-what?"

The couple had never even had sex yet, but he was saying those things.

"I mean... If you'd want to marry me..." Sasuke looked away, his own blush coloring his cheeks.

Sakura smiled to herself and looked down at her bump. Oh, the conversations this child was causing already.

After a few moments, Sakura let out a yawn, moving Sasuke's attention back to the pinkette.

"Did you sleep any good last night?"

Sakura frowned and let out a huff. "No. Ino and I were up all night arguing over text."

"Oh?"

"Her and Sai want me to move in with them before I have the baby."

Sasuke cocked his head in confusion. "Why?"

"Ino wants me to breastfeed, but there are pumps for that." Sakura rolled her eyes. "She insists that it's because I'll be drained for a few weeks after having it, so it would be best for me to stay with them while I healed and got back to my normal self."

Sasuke felt like an idiot. He hadn't even thought of the fact that there was so much that a woman goes through after labor, even if they didn't keep the baby for themselves. He knew nothing about the medical field, so he knew he wouldn't be able to do much to help her afterward.

"She does have a point." Sasuke shrugged. "She's a nurse, so she'd be a huge help."

"I'm a doctor." Sakura rolled her eyes again. "I think I'd know how to fare on my own."

"Sakura, just hear me out." The Uchiha said. "What if you moved in until you felt well enough to be on your own? None of that milk nonsense included because I have no clue how that's going to work. That's all on you guys."

He turned to face her fully. "What if you moved in with me after you healed up?"

Sakura felt her heart jump to her throat.

"W-wait a minute!" She exclaimed. "That's a little fast, don't you think?"

"That's why I'm saying to stay with Ino until you're ready." Sasuke began to feel uncomfortable again. It was probably a stupid idea to even put that on the table, considering he didn't even have his own place yet. His parents had always told their boys they could stay with them until they got married to save up money for an actual home instead of moving around once a lease went up. Itachi did it, so Sasuke thought it wasn't such a bad idea either.

"I have to live near the hospital." Sakura frowned. "My apartment right now is really ideal for me, Sasuke. I can't give it up. It's too hard to rent out from there in the first place."

"I'll find something better." Sasuke gave her a determined look. "And we can work on getting you your own car, I can let you use mine, or I'll even drive you myself. Sakura, we can make something work."

Sakura looked away, feeling uncomfortable. The last time she had done this... Her life fell apart.

"Just... Give me some time to think about it." She finally said.

"It's all I ask."

"Hey, Sasuke! Look at me!" Yasuo's shouting broke them from their serious conversation.

The boy was balancing himself at the top of the octopus's head with one foot. It was almost ninja-like.

"Yasuo, that's really dangerous!" Sasuke replied to him.

"Aww, no it's not!" The boy laughed. "Watch!"

It was as if life slowed down when the boy went to do a spin to land on his other foot but caught nothing but air as his body landed arm-first on the ground and let out a blood-curdling scream.

So yeah, that's a chapter.

I actually had like 3/4s of one written, but after the cafe scene my computer did a goof and deleted everything I wrote after that. I actually like this one better, so I'm not complaining.

Anyway! Anyone that's been following me knows that I do not really do much of these author's notes. I've been getting a lot of flack and threats from people if I make Yasuo Sasuke's child. To be honest, does it really matter at this point? Yasuo is actually just a small part of a much bigger story I have planned. If you want to stop reading because of something I do, that's your choice. I'm not going to write a story that sways depending on reader's desires. If you want something to happen your way, write your own fic. (However, I am open to ideas.)

I write because I love to, and when my ideas flow I roll with them. I've already had this story in my head over the last few weeks, so it's not fair when someone tries to dictate my plot.

In all honesty, thank you for the reviews. I don't beg for them, but they are SO VERY MUCH appreciated!

Thank you all for your love and support!

~RynUhara