Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Time went by with such ease with the Hawanaki family. Cooking, talking, and working their days away, they spent much of it trying to catch up on whatever they'd missed in the three years they were apart.

Understandably, the family had much to ask: Noburu was dying to know about any fights or ambush they might have encountered, Asuka more interested in the animals they'd seen, while Yuuta and Natsumi… well, they were more hard-pressed to hear about the many cultures of the villages they'd visited—and the progress of their relationship.

("what do you mean you're not married? you've been alone on these roads for three years, and neither of you ever thought about it? that's crazy! look at you two—you're glowing! i don't understand any of this.")

It was no use denying. Neither of them wanted to lie and the Hawanakis deserved to hear the truth anyway. Without them, Sakura doubted Sasuke would have ever begun to feel like he was capable of being more than the shameful man he once thought he'd always be—at least, not before another long while, anyhow. Sasuke might have never been at her side like this, if they hadn't helped him.

She owed them a great debt.

But of course, the two of them weren't the only ones with exciting updates. As it was just this past year, Yuuta and Natsumi had decided to start saving up for one of their shared lifelong dream: buying a farm. They wanted livestock and lush gardens, fruit trees and greenhouses—so that one day, they might at last finally start a produce business of their own.

They were happy, and positively ecstatic. Sakura could only smile, even when quite unsurprised; the Hawanakis owning a produce farm was always a thought that fit too well. In fact, if she was honest with herself, Sakura couldn't really understand how they'd only thought to try now, hardworking as they were.

"It might not seem like it now, but when they were younger Natsumi and Yuuta struggled a lot with money," Sasuke explained to her later on that night, when she'd confided her thoughts as they were getting ready for bed. "Natsumi said her parents never approved of their relationship. That they hated Yuuta because they thought he was too old for her and too poor. And that he wouldn't be able to provide for her, much less any children they had. But she married him anyway, and they disowned her for it."

Watching him change from the foot of the bed, Sakura's heart lurched. "They did?" she asked, unable to fathom how something like this could happen. She didn't understand how some parents could make such terrible decisions—or how anyone could hate Yuuta, for that matter. He was such a kind, impossibly bright man.

Humming, Sasuke frowned, pulled his night shirt over his head, and nodded. "It's what she told me," he went on, mismatched eyes meeting her own. He seemed a little sad—sympathetic even. "And from what Yuuta said, they really didn't have it easy. Every week, they had to make due with what they had… which for many years wasn't much. But to this day, neither of them regret any of it."

At this, a faint smile pulled to her lips. Shifting slowly to her feet, Sakura took the few steps she needed to reach him, and took his single hand in both of her own, thoughtfully looking around the guest room. This was Yuuta and Natsumi's home, a house they built together more than a decade past. They'd made their life here, were raising their two amazing children here, and it was beautiful—every plank and nail seeped in their timeless, enduring love.

Affection bubbled in her chest so warmly, and she finally looked at Sasuke again. "Yeah," she murmured, eyes crinkling. "I don't think I'd regret any of it either. Would you?"

His gaze lightened so clearly that she didn't need him to answer. Her smile widened, fading away only as he leaned down to press his lips to hers, his lone hand slipping from her grasp only to fist at the back of her shirt. She felt her cheeks redden as the kiss deepened, feeling his fingers slide beneath the hem of her night clothes, feet already guiding them back towards the bed.

"Here?" she questioned, clutching at the material of his top, but returning his affections all the same. Her eyes fell shut as his lips fell along her jaw and the length of her throat, leaving wet kisses in their wake.

(she'd missed this, after all. they hadn't made love since they'd gotten here weeks ago.)

"It's fine," he murmured, bunching up her shirt higher. "They won't know."

Sakura only hoped that he was right, because there wasn't a single part of her that wanted to say no.

.

.

(in the morning, she found: yes, he was. yet as yuuta and natsumi scrambled around the kitchen to give everyone breakfast, smiling and chatting as always, sakura still felt so nervous sitting at that table, expecting knowing looks from the usually-intuitive parents.

they never came, but it still made her stomach queasy—made her want to throw up.

it didn't get much better in the two weeks that followed.)

.

.

"Do you really have to go, Sakura-neechan?" Asuka cried when the day came that they had to take their leave, hugging herself to Sakura's waist. As her big, brown eyes welled with tears, she clutched her tighter and pushed her small face into her stomach. "Please don't go! I don't want you to!"

Putting a hand into her unruly hair, Sakura bit the inside of her cheek. "I'm sorry, Asuka-chan," she said, wishing she had the right words to bring her comfort but knowing full well she didn't. She knew how attached Asuka had grown to her in the past month, and it felt terrible to have to leave her like this. "But we need to. We've been here too long already… Sasuke-kun and I have to resume our travels now."

Yet Asuka only shook her head in response, and looked up to meet her gaze. She wiped at her still-wet eyes, offering a watery smile. "You don't have to," she reasoned, taking her hands and squeezing tight. "Okasan and Otousan always have a room for you! You could stay here with us—forever! Can't they, Okasan? Tell them they can stay!"

"Yeah, come on, Okasan—tell them they can stay a while longer," Noburu said, trying his best to sound casual despite the obvious begging in his tone.

(since she and Sasuke had started teaching him self defense recently, he'd been just as relentless as his mother trying to have them prolong their visit.)

Heart lurching in her chest, Sakura's eyes flickered to the man at her side, fidgeting as she met his gaze. Sasuke must have felt the same doubt, because he shifted in that way that he always did when he felt uncomfortable or unsure, jaw cinching just as well.

Thankfully Yuuta, the wonderfully understanding and kind man that he was, took it upon himself to ensure they wouldn't succumb to their guilt-ridden minds.

"Asuka, Noburu, that's enough," he said, stepping forward to gently pull his daughter away from them. Drawing her against his side, he turned towards his son and reached to ruffle his hair. A grin spread to his mouth. "You two… I can't believe you. You're both being so greedy! We've had them for over a month, haven't we? I think it's time we let them go on their way—they have their own life to make."

Sakura's cheeks warmed at that. Since they'd learned they were truly together, the Hawanakis hadn't tried in the slightest to hide the fact that they no longer thought of their lives as just their own. Whatever future they shared, their paths lay converged, now—and they all knew it.

(marriage. a house of their own. and… kids, even. perhaps.)

"But they can make their life forever here, Otousan!" Asuka whined, trying to haul herself to Sakura again.

Yet her father didn't let her, tugging her back with care. Upset, Asuka started crying, prompting Yuuta to kneel down and hug his daughter. He gave Sakura a tiny smile when he patted and rubbed Asuka's back, murmuring soothing words. Sakura felt so guilty about it all that she could barely return it.

At that moment, Natsumi chose to break her silence and stepped forward as she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.

"Oh, it's breaking all of our hearts to see you go like this," she said, cupping both of their faces before dragging them into a tight hug. "Are you sure you can't stay another week, sweethearts? You know we'd love it if you could. I mean, there are tears—"

"Natsumi!" her husband exclaimed, dark eyes crinkling as he laughed. Evidently, he could not believe she was going to such lengths.

"Ugh, I know, Yuuta!" Natsumi retorted, pulling away from them to look at her husband. Sakura had never seen her so red, but she couldn't tell whether it was because Natsumi was outraged or embarrassed. "But it's just so hard to see them leave!"

"You know they'll come back, honey. They won't be gone forever…"

For the next twenty minutes, the Hawanaki family bickered on the front porch of their home. Natsumi and Noburu insisted that they had not had enough time, and Yuuta maintained they had; Natsumi and Noburu whined that one more week wouldn't hurt, but Yuuta didn't relent and proceeded to explain why it wasn't right. Asuka, exhausted by all her crying, ignored the arguments and simply buried her face into her father's neck, soothed by his light rocking.

In the end, Noburu and Natsumi caved to their own empathy and Sasuke and Sakura were finally allowed to leave. They exchanged guilt-free goodbyes with everybody (little Asuka included), made the promise to return as soon as they could, and took to the road once more.

They couldn't have taken more than twenty steps before they heard Natsumi call to them, "Oh, and I swear, if you take three years to visit us again, I'll hunt you down myself! All right?"

A smile curled to Sasuke's lips. Sakura's heart warmed at the sight, and she almost smiled, too—but her mouth parted instead when Sasuke stretched his lone arm up to give Natsumi a thumbs up, never looking back.

She wondered how many new sides of him there were left to see.

.

.

Three days later, a letter came from Konoha, bringing a smile to her face.

It dropped in a heartbeat, though, as she started reading its contents.

Forehead!

I can't believe I only realized this today, but you know when we met up to give each other our contraceptive shots? Well, I never did give you yours. I had the needle in at the time, but I never did deliver it because we got interrupted by that emergency, remember?

So… yeah. You should probably pop by the next hospital you see on the road to get it. Not that it really matters much anyway, because judging by the absolute lack of details (like, literally zero) you've given me about that part of your life… you and Sasuke obviously aren't getting jiggy (which I really don't understand why at this point, Forehead. What are you waiting for?!)

Anyway, stay safe, and go get your shot!

Love,

Ino

Her fingers trembled, heart sinking into her stomach. Nausea swept over, breath suddenly coming in so weak. She could hear nothing but the blood pounding in her head.

She hadn't been protected, Sakura thought dimly, feeling her surroundings fade. In all the times since Sasuke had made love to her in Konoha, she hadn't been protected.

In a flurry of frenzy, distinct signs from their recent past raced through her mind: her stomach cramps, her complete and utter lack of energy in the first few weeks since they'd left Konoha again; her dizziness, her still-present breast tenderness; the queasiness that came at random at any hours of the day (and still did), the lack of any proper bleeding for the week of her period…

A heavy, shaky breath fell from her lips. Sakura slid a hand upon her belly. No… she couldn't be. She couldn't be. But the symptoms were undeniable—was she really…?

(and did sasuke even want…?)

Swallowing tight, Sakura fisted her shirt. She wasn't going to think about that. She wasn't going to think about what this was going to do to them if Sasuke didn't want this child.

For the first time in her life, Sakura was at a complete loss about what to do.

.

.

Over a week ran by, all in a bit of a blur as her reality was tipped off its axis. Her mind was restless, anxious, thoughts of doubt and worry keeping her awake for most hours of the night. Sleep always came, eventually, but never enough to have her feel even somewhat rested. She became quickly exhausted.

Sasuke noticed, obviously; Sakura knew she wasn't hiding it well. Knew it never escaped his attention in the mornings after, knew he was only growing considerably more concerned with every forced smile she gave every time he asked her if she was all right… but still, he never pressed on.

(thankfully.)

He only respected her apparent need for space, just as she had done for him countless times before, taking care instead to offer whatever little silent acts of support and affection he could comfortably provide: making chamomile tea to help her sleep, taking care of the chores she didn't particularly like; letting her doze well past their usual hour even when it derailed their traveling schedule, buying her favorite dessert anytime they stopped by a village. At times, when they went to bed, he even pressed faint kisses to her hair, holding her more closely to himself than ever before—as though trying to shield her from her inevitable insomnia.

(or maybe, sakura mused, he was simply apologizing for the fact that he could not.)

It only made it harder to tell him the news. To tell him that in roughly eight months, their lives would change forever; that he would no longer be the only Uchiha. That he would become a father… if he wanted to be.

Swallowing the knot in her throat, Sakura cupped her stomach, eyes slipping shut. It terrified her, all of the things that could go wrong. She wanted this baby, more than anything she'd ever wanted in her life, more than anything in the world. Raising a family with Sasuke had been her dream for as long as she remembered knowing him.

But ever since the war, ever since Sasuke came back and they had started building their new bond, Sakura realized along the way that maybe children would never be part of their future, and she had learned to be okay with that. She had grown to be content with the idea of growing old with him, of buying a small townhouse just for the two of them where they could tend to their own little garden, watching their friends build their families and new bloodlines. Sasuke was all she really needed anyway, and if they were together just as they were right now, she could be nothing but happy.

But there was no getting rid of this secret hope, this hidden desire—one that only flourished even more ever since she found out that she was carrying his child. Her dream was coming true… or at least, it was in some way. With the little ray of sunlight growing within her, equal parts him as it was hers.

Sakura didn't know if she could give it up if ever Sasuke didn't want it.

(but she would not let herself worry about it so much when it could not be true. when there was a chance that sasuke would want this baby… would want to raise a family with her. some part of him would want this baby—she knew that. she saw it sometimes in the way that he looked at asuka and noburu, in the way he looked at other families. but everything was so much more complicated than that… wishing and yearning was entirely different than actually having.)

Behind her, Sasuke began to wake: warm, steady breaths breaking rhythm, giving way to a deeper, longer inhale. His hand, settled over her hip as it often was, curled around her shirt lightly before shifting to her abdomen to pull her nearer, causing her heart to stutter in her chest. He didn't even know how close he was to touching his own child.

There was a silence, short and faintly weighing with something she couldn't pinpoint.

Then: "You're awake."

Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat. How was he always this perceptive?

"I am."

"Did you get any sleep at all?"

She fidgeted with her shirt, and bit the inside of her cheek. There was no use lying about it.

"…Not much."

He gave a heavy sigh in response.

"…I don't know how to help you Sakura," he murmured, pulling away from her to shift on his back.

Attentively following, Sakura rolled onto her other side to watch him, touching a hand to his chest. Sasuke kept frowning, eyes fixed upwards to the ceiling of their tent.

Smiling weakly, she wriggled closer just to push her face into his bad shoulder. Her eyes slipped shut. "It's alright, Sasuke-kun," she said softly. "You've been helping a lot already with everything you're doing."

He huffed at that, and muttered, "Not enough, clearly."

When she opened her eyes again, he was frowning deeper, brows drawing together. Evidently, it was frustrating him that he didn't know what was bothering her. That she didn't want to tell him, that he couldn't fix the problem, that the only thing he could do was to be patient. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask, she could see, but the last thing he wanted was to overstep. Sakura was grateful for it.

It was wrong to keep this from him. But she would tell him soon—when she could gather the courage to face any and all consequences to come.

(hopefully… there wouldn't be any. hopefully, sasuke was ready to accept this.

she needed him to be.)

Swallowing once more, Sakura propped herself up with her elbow and gently started tracing patterns over his heart. Her eyes finding his, she said, "I'll be okay. I love you for being so concerned, but you don't need to worry so much, Sasuke-kun. All right?"

He sighed yet again in reply, but this time, thankfully, sounded much more resigned. Sakura smiled at this, pulling her hand away as she watched him shift again, turning on his side to face her. When he reached out to draw her in, her heart grew warm, eyes briefly slipping shut as his lips fluttered oh so faintly across her forehead in the ghost of a kiss. She fisted both hands into his shirt.

"You know I have sleeping pills in my bag," he said, after a moment had passed.

Her fingers twitched. "From when we were in Konoha?"

Soon after they had left to resume their travels, Sasuke had told her that when she was in a coma, he'd had such trouble sleeping that Tsunade ended up prescribing him with a bottle. There was no end to the guilt she'd felt knowing she'd worried him so much.

Affirming her thoughts, Sasuke gave a hum. Sakura fought the urge to fidget in return, bowing her head slightly. If she wasn't pregnant, the option would have been a good one in the state she was in—but she was. It was a well-known fact in her profession that sleeping pills were generally not recommended during pregnancy, and Sakura wasn't going to risk it. She swallowed as subtly as she could.

"I know, Sasuke-kun. Thank you. But I'm fine—and I'll be better soon."

(or at least, she hoped she would be.)

Sliding a hand into her hair, Sasuke sighed a final time, slowly sifting his fingers through her sweet, pink locks. "You better…" he muttered.

Stomach clenching, Sakura slid an arm around his back and held on tight, nuzzling her face into his throat. This wasn't fair. She wasn't being fair to him.

She had to tell him soon.

.

.

When Sasuke's birthday came around a few days later, Sakura got up in the early morning resolved to take matters into her own hands, set on brushing off her anxieties for another time so that they could both enjoy themselves, if only just for today. Because today was special, and they deserved to make the best of it, to have a break; it was the least she could do for worrying him so much lately—and in all fairness, it was the least she could do for herself too, given the restless mess that was her mind. She could make sure this day would be a good one—no, a great one.

And it would all start with making his favorite breakfast.

(or, well, one he definitely favored very much, if she had observed him as well as she thought.)

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun," she greeted as he emerged from their tent some short while later, hair still mussed and eyes half hazy. She smiled when he nodded in reply, echoing her with a mumble. "Sleep well?"

"Fine," he muttered, reaching to rub away his drowsiness. "You?"

"I slept pretty good, too."

At this, Sasuke paused. "You did?"

Clearly, he wasn't sure he'd heard her right. It made Sakura beam widely.

"I did," she said, still stirring away at the food that was nearly done. She began looking for their bowls in a bag. "Not a full night, but much more than I have in a while." And that was the truth.

When she looked at Sasuke again, his shoulders had eased noticeably, his mismatched gaze seemingly lighter. His lips twitched in a faint smile, one she was all too happy to return. He gave a nod and finally started his way to her side once more, before drawing to a stop as he suddenly noticed the package sitting innocently at her side. Sakura fought the urge to grin.

"What's this?"

It was a gift, evidently—but not her own. Her parents had sent it for his birthday some time ago, and she had kept it hidden from him ever since, tucked away inside the depths of her travel pack.

(though, sakura could admit, part of it had been purely borne of luck: when the hawk arrived carrying the package, sasuke had been gone gathering some campfire wood, leaving her completely free to find some place to stash it.)

"Hmm," Sakura replied, finally allowing her lips to curve. "What do you think it is?"

Shaking his head, Sasuke sat down, took the wrapped box, and held it uncertainly. His gaze was soft as he stared at it, bringing a warmth to her chest.

"You didn't need to," he murmured, shifting towards her. "I already told you this before."

Smile widening, Sakura braced herself on her elbow to lean her chin onto her palm, eyes crinkling. "Oh, I know, Sasuke-kun. But this isn't from me—It's from my mom and dad."

He blinked quickly then, brows rising slightly as his mouth parted. It was always truly a sight to see him caught off guard. "You told them about my birthday?"

She playfully bumped her shoulder to his. "Of course I did, Sasuke-kun!" she said. "They really like you. It was one of the first things they asked about you when I was at the hospital—and I knew exactly why they wanted to know, too."

"For this?"

"For this," she agreed, grinning at him.

Lips quirking again, Sasuke turned back to the package in his lap, prodding carefully at the bindings. Eyes gentling a great deal, he ran his fingers along the rims of the small box, seemingly stuck in a state of wonder.

It made Sakura so happy that her anticipation quickly breached its limits. "Well, what are you waiting for?" she exclaimed, focusing on plating their breakfast to abstain from untying the bow herself. "Open it, Sasuke-kun!"

"You have no patience," Sasuke said with a shake of his head, but he did as he was asked anyway, unwrapping the present almost unnervingly slowly.

Sakura couldn't wait to see what it was. She was sure that her parents had put as much thought into it as they always did with her.

(even though, she knew, sasuke would undoubtedly appreciate it all the same. because to him, the contents wouldn't matter; the knowledge that her parents liked him so much they wanted to sent him a present for his birthday was the perfect gift in itself.)

As he unveiled the contents, however, Sakura just about burst into laughter. "You got a mug!" she squealed, caught in a mix of disbelief and complete delight.

"A cat-shaped mug," Sasuke said, eyes filled with endless mirth as he studied the object in his hand. It was black, the whole of it forming a face; with ears at the lip, eyes, whiskers and a mouth adorably painted on. On it was also a speech bubble with the words, Konoha be-leafs in you.

Setting their half-plated bowls aside, Sakura couldn't help reaching for it from his hand, uncontrollable giggles breaking from her lips. "Oh, this has dad written all over it, no question. Always with the puns—And hey, look! You got a mitten too!"

Blinking swiftly once more, Sasuke turned to the unwrapped box in his lap to find that yes indeed, he had. Sakura smiled bright.

"This one has to be from mom," she mused. "She's always been more practical with her gifts."

Lovingly giving him back his mug, she grabbed for their bowls again, carrying on with her task as he carefully put it away to direct his attention to the mitten, now. She watched with a thudding heart as he thumbed the Uchiha crest on the black fabric, overtly pleased with how much effort her parents had put into their gifts.

Sasuke looked at a loss about what to say.

"Your mom made this?" he asked after a long pause, evidently having struggled with his words.

Sakura hummed, green eyes radiant as they met his. "She did. It's a thing mom and dad have in common—they love to personalize gifts. They never give one away without giving their own touch."

Sasuke ran his thumb over the crest again, thoughtful. A long, quiet breath left him. "…My mom did, too," he murmured, lowly. "She said she never felt right giving us something directly from the store."

Something in her chest swelled; a mix of pain and utmost tenderness. It would always hurt to think of how Sasuke had had his entire family torn from him so unfairly, so violently—but these days, she couldn't help but to simply feel proud of him. Because in the past few years, he had learned to make his peace with it, to look at his past with soft nostalgia instead of a broken heart (though he always would on some days, she was sure—that sadness would never fully go away, in a sense).

He had learned to let go of the bitter feelings that held him back.

Letting out a soft sigh of her own, Sakura put the bowls on her lap before leaning over to brush her lips over his cheek, eyes slipping shut. She settled her face against his shoulder, hands moving to grab gently at the stump of him, hoping he would feel the comfort she offered. He probably would.

She sighed again, content. "Hm. You know, that doesn't surprise me, Sasuke-kun… It does sound like a thing your mom would do."

His head shifted her way, and Sakura pulled back to look at him, a smile curling to her lips as she met his warm gaze. His lips curved back, but were just as quickly hidden away as he moved to smooth them over her temple instead, lingering for a long moment. Her eyes closed again, stomach rushing with small butterflies.

When Sasuke pulled back, he set the box of gifts to the ground at his side and finally moved to seize one of the bowls in her lap, earning himself a slight jump.

"Hey!" she protested. "You could have asked! How do you know that's not the one I wanted?"

"Hm. It's mine now."

Puffing her cheeks, Sakura felt herself redden a little, heart stuttering at his playful jibe. She tried her best not to smile for the sake of his ego, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear instead as he began to eat. She swallowed subtly.

"…Good?"

Sasuke hummed, continued chewing. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Sakura bit her lip. "Well… it's just the first time I've tried to make your favorite on my own, so I was worried…"

If it was his favorite, she added in her mind.

Sasuke paused again, midway through a bite. Then, he looked down at the bowl, as if realizing something.

After a moment, he shrugged and said, "The rice is a bit undercooked."

Eyes snapping open wide, Sakura let out an unexpected laugh. At least he was honest. "But it's still good?"

"Hm. Still good."

Sakura smiled at him for this, sweet and radiant. Happy. "Good. I'm glad. But—I'll do better on your next birthday. That's a Haruno promise!"

Sasuke mouth twitched in return, mismatched eyes gleaming as he glanced fleetingly at her. She hoped he was looking forward to it.

(hoped he wouldn't mind sharing it with an unexpected addition to their duo, too.)

.

.

"Oh! Sasuke-kun?"

"Yeah?"

She smiled. "Happy birthday."

"…Thank you."

.

.

As it turned out, his birthday didn't differ far from any other day, much as Sakura had planned otherwise. Sticking to a lot of their routine chores and habits, Sasuke had seemed so content as they were that she could hardly suggest doing anything else that she'd had in mind, too cautious that she might ruin his mood. After all, with the arrival of the new festival in the nearby village (which she hadn't known about until today), she wasn't quite sure Sasuke would enjoy scouring the massive weapons store with all the loud frivolities happening around them. Likewise, because of this, she didn't think renting a boat for the local lake would appease to him all that greatly, either.

(a sad thought, she mused, because she really had such a tranquil evening planned for them with that boat.)

Yet that didn't mean there still weren't some changes; as they arrived by the village's main entrance and took in the sight of the boisterous festivities, Sakura simply took his wrist, veered back, and started towards another path. She was sure somewhere not too far from here they had crossed by a river within a pretty grove—she could only hope that when she found it, it would be distant enough to be void of any tourists or villagers commemorating the event.

Much to her luck, once they got there, it was completely vacant. They settled by the river with his cloak, pulled out some pre-prepared containers of food (which Sasuke had comically been bemused by), and simply had themselves a quaint little picnic in the light of this beautiful noon sun. While she was sure it would have been nicer on the small, romantic local boat, Sakura still gave herself a mental pat on the back because Sasuke still looked like he'd never been more at peace; pressing his shoulder to her own, lips curved more often than not, fingers sometimes lacing with hers in the times he wasn't eating what she'd so thoughtfully prepared.

He was happy.

(and it was all because of her.)

She could hardly be surprised they ended up sharing so many kisses by the end of their meal.

"We should probably stop," she mumbled in between two particularly deep kisses, as the sun was just beginning to make its daily descent. She was so helpless to resist, especially when he hadn't dared to touch her like this since she started losing so much sleep. She bit his lip when his hand smoothed under her shirt and over her back, bunching up the material. "This isn't how we're supposed to spend your birthday."

Sasuke huffed, merely gripping her tighter. "Tch. It's my birthday. I'll spend it how I want to," he muttered, tugging her closer by her shirt.

Erupting into laughter, Sakura pulled back to cup his face with both hands, grinning widely. She kissed his nose. "Cute, Sasuke-kun. But I'm not doing this here."

Here and not at all, she made it a point to say, because she definitely wasn't opposed to making love with him as a whole. She simply didn't much feel like right now was very comfortable; her back still hurt at the memory of the first time he'd taken her against a tree, and his cloak didn't exactly provide more protection from the ground.

She blushed when his eyes blazed with that certain understanding, darkening with the underlying offer in her words. She almost shivered when his hand slid along her hip, squeezing just barely before dropping from her shirt altogether. He moved to gently push her from his lap and gather their things.

"Come on," he said, forcing himself up to his feet. He extended his hand to help her stand, too. "Let's go back."

.

.

It wasn't until the sun had almost set and the rest of their chores were finished that he finally made his move. Sitting by the campfire, sharing warmth and reminiscing about their old genin days, she'd been laughing about a memory when Sasuke suddenly cradled her jaw into his hand, leaning in to kiss her deep. She'd made a noise, half-surprised and half-relief, fingers instinctively taking hold of his shirt; her heart pounded, cheeks flushing red—but when his hand fell from her face to drag her over his thighs, she was the one who found herself suggesting that maybe they should take this to their tent.

He hummed his agreement, allowing her to get up and take his hand. And when she had guided him in and felt his hot mouth latch to the back of her neck, Sakura closed her eyes and tried not to think too much about what their lovemaking had led to, focusing instead on the warmth of his rough fingers smoothing under her top to roam along her stomach. She wouldn't think about the fact she was carrying his baby, wouldn't think about how she needed to tell him soon, wouldn't think about—oh, his hand dipped lower, and she didn't think at all.

When they were finished, she was in his lap, legs crossed behind his back as her face hid itself in the crook of his neck, fighting to catch her wits. Trembling, utterly blissed out, Sakura tiredly ran her fingers into his sweaty hair and relished in the hot breaths he puffed against her, feeling his heart racing just like hers. She shuddered when he tenderly traced her spine, brushing his mouth to her shoulders in warm, lazy kisses.

It slipped out of her before she could even help herself.

"I'm pregnant."

Sasuke stiffened, choppy breathing stopping entirely. Feeling mindless panic settling in, Sakura tensed just as well and fought the urge to scream and cuss herself out, starting to tremble all over at how much more poorly she could have timed this.

How could she be so stupid? How could she have whispered it so suddenly? How could she have let her impulses take over in such a tender moment like this? Her throat tightened unbearably—she wanted to cry. And the long, heavy silence that had taken place wasn't helping her, either.

But whatever she expected, nothing could have ever prepared her for the look on Sasuke's face when he pulled back to meet her gaze. Sakura felt her eyes burn with tears, chest swelling and twisting so much she could hardly breathe. He was happy. He was happy with this. He wasn't going to leave her or this baby, he was happy—

Wetness spilled down her cheeks when he leaned in and kissed her, more sweetly than he ever had before. He wiped one tear track away with his thumb, exhaling a long, content breath against her lips.

And then, he murmured, "Marry me."

Her heart stopped. Her breath caught. Her green, green eyes stared at him, snapped open wide. "…B-Because I'm pregnant?"

At this, Sasuke smiled. Small, tender, and most beautifully true. He pressed his forehead to her own.

"Because I love you."

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.

It was in the tiny temple of a village they didn't care to know the name of, that they eloped six days later, wearing the same travel-worn clothes and the same muddy shoes—eager hearts set only on finally tying their new bond to the meaning of forever.

Holding their marriage certificate in her free hand, Sakura giggled and buried herself against his side, feeling giddy, at peace, and utterly thankful for everything in her life. She couldn't believe this was really happening, couldn't believe they'd actually gotten married; amidst all the tragedies and the war, all the anger and the tears, somehow they still ended up here. Happy. Fulfilled.

(…complete.)

Leaning her hand on his shoulder, Sakura closed her eyes and smiled. "Naruto is going to be so mad we didn't invite him," she murmured, squeezing his hand. "Not to mention Natsumi—she'll kill us when she finds out we got married so shortly after leaving them!"

Beside her, Sasuke hummed. "They'll understand," he said, squeezing her hand back.

Lifting her head to look at him, Sakura gave him a grin. "Well if they don't, my dear husband better protect me."

Blinking quickly, Sasuke's lips twitched in return. He shook his head. "I think you can handle Naruto and Natsumi, Sakura."

"I can," she agreed, still grinning. "But you will anyway, right?"

"…I will do my duty to my wife."

Her heart stuttered, eyes crinkling as they gleamed ever brighter. Wife. He'd called her his wife. Sakura didn't think she would ever grow tired of hearing him say it.

With the way Sasuke's gaze gentled, she didn't think he'd ever grow tired of saying it, anyway.

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.

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Sakura-chan!

I can't believe I'm going to tell you this in a letter, but I just can't sit around with this until you and Sasuke come back home. It's just so incredible, and I'm too happy right now to keep it to myself! Why?

Because, well, you see… Hinata-chan and I decided that we are finally ready to start a family.

Crazy, right? Me being a dad? Who would have thought? But I absolutely can't wait… I've been thinking about this for a while now. I don't even care if we have boys or girls—I just want kids with Hinata-chan.

It probably sounds so sudden, but it isn't. Hinata-chan and I have been talking about this for about a year already—so a while before we were even engaged! We always said we'd like to start after the house was done, and now that we've finally moved in… we just feel so ready, you know?

You better be happy for me! (I know you are, I'm just kidding.)

Oh yeah, also Temari is four months pregnant. Pretty sure it wasn't planned since, you know, they just got married like two months ago. HA!

Just wanted to let you in on some gossip, I know you love that, hehe.

Can't wait for you to come home!

Love,

Naruto

P.S. Tell the bastard happy birthday for me, too, will ya? I hope the letter got there on time. If not well whatever, he'll get over it. Love you!

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"Do you want to go back to Konoha?"

Smile fading slowly, and brows raising, Sakura shifted her attention from the letter to the man at her side, tilting her head in puzzlement. "Hm?"

Sasuke answered nothing and simply moved, sliding his hand over her abdomen as his eyes met hers carefully, holding the same silent question. Her cheeks painted with a blush; it wasn't hard to catch on to his train of thought, this time.

He didn't know if traveling was the best idea now that she was pregnant with their child.

Teeth biting the inside of her cheek, Sakura gazed down at her stomach, taking a moment to contemplate. It would be a wise choice to go back, in retrospect; she could carry out her pregnancy in peace with easy access to everything she needed, safe from any potential ambush or run-ins with any rogues. She could be surrounded by everyone she loved, all of whom would be eager to help along every step, happy to keep any stress away.

But… she wasn't ready to go home yet. Wasn't ready for this journey to end, for their time together like this to suddenly come to a grinding halt. She wasn't ready to leave this world of theirs, with travels and wonders and an intimacy they couldn't find quite as well back in Konoha. She wanted to stay here just a little longer. And besides…

Slowly, Sakura felt her heart rush with warmth. She put a hand over his, turning her head to meet his soft, mismatched eyes.

"And miss out on the other half of the world I haven't seen? I don't think so," she said, smiling glowingly. She squeezed his hand, rubbing it as she would her belly. "We'll be just fine on the road. I'm sure of it."

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Fin.

And that's a wrap!

I literally can't believe it. This has been a work of four years, I legit just sat in my room with tears in my eyes last night when I was done with it. I was so nervous (and still am!) about providing a good ending which would ultimately not make you guys feel like you need so much more from them, and I think this is it.

So much of that ending was planned for YEARS—namely, the pregnancy reveal! There was a very distinct reason Sasuke hadn't said he loved her through the entire story, and that's because I was saving it for this moment! So on that note, I'd like to dedicate the chapter to that anon who was disappointed about how Sasuke had yet said those three precious little words ;) Your review made me laugh (in the good way!) and snicker because you had absolutely no idea what was coming to ya. It was my absolute pleasure to deliver it.

I want to just take a moment to thank you all for reading and reviewing this story! It's been such a ride but the best one. I really loved sharing this story with you, it's probably my proudest story I've ever written and I think I would consider it to be my sasusaku magnum opus. I hope it will stay in your hearts forever, for at least some of you.

Thank you again, and please, do leave a review with your thoughts! Love you all and take care :)

DeepPoeticGirl