Chapter 30

Sasuke had barely closed his eyes when he heard the front door open. He kept them closed as he listened to the light padding of Sakura's feet across the floorboards. There was no creaking of the steps as the house was new but counting the seconds after her entry into their home, he could tell exactly where she was as he was accustomed to her nightly routine by now.

"You're awake."

It wasn't a question. Sasuke opened his eyes and turned to face his tired wife. She let out a sigh and shook her head.

"I told you to stop waiting up for me."

"I wasn't," he lied.

Sakura crossed her arms in front of her chest and cocked a hip as she stared at him pointedly. They stared at each other for a moment before Sakura sighed and headed to their en suite.

After Sakura finished her bedtime routine, she pulled back the duvet on her side of the bed and settled, facing Sasuke. He was already turned to face her as he had watched her getting ready for bed.

"We talked about this Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke wrapped his arm around her waist and Sakura allowed herself to be pulled toward him.

"I don't know what you're talking about as I wasn't waiting up for you."

"At least you weren't waiting outside the hospital," Sakura murmured, as she snuggled into his warmth.

Adjusting to each other's schedules was a challenge, especially when Sakura worked extra hours into the night.

They had gotten into a comfortable routine that worked for them for a few months. It had worked for them until Ino had submitted an evaluation on the psychiatric care provided at the hospital along with a binder full of plans for her wedding. It had kept Sakura busy most of the week both at home and at the hospital.

"You need a day off."

"I can handle it."

"Do you even know when was your last free day?"

Sakura wrinkled her nose in thought. It couldn't have been that long ago…

A month ago. She hadn't taken a day off for a whole month.

One her last day off Sakura had used it to celebrate Mikoto's birthday. For someone that liked to make a fuss over events, her mother-in-law was they type of person that treated her own birthday as any other day.

"Well what about you."

"What about me?"

"Part time at the police force while still going on missions. When was the last time you had a day off?"

"Yesterday. You would know that had you been home at all the past few days."

Sakura sat up, knocking him away from her.

"Are you seriously going there?"

Sasuke sighed and sat up. He smoothed his hands over her upper arms and then pulled her toward him. Sakura narrowed her eyes at him but allowed him to lay her back down and pressed her back to his chest.

"It just won't be the end of the world if you take a break. Do you even stop to eat?"

Sakura huffed and grumbled under her breath.

He was right that she would eventually need a break. She was running herself ragged trying to help everyone. But that wasn't something that Sakura was going to admit to.

At least not out loud.

Sakura was in the middle of making wedding favors with Ino during her break when the door to her office burst open.

Naruto strolled in with Choji and Shikamaru reluctantly following behind them. Naruto plopped himself on the ground between the two women and examined one of the favors. Choji took up a spare chair and Shikamaru sat down in front of the pile of supplies with a sigh.

"What's going on?" Ino asked, brows pulled forward in confusion.

"Someone," Shikamaru stared pointedly at Naruto, "reminded us that Sakura's not your only friend. And that we should be helping you just as much."

"Sai might have also mentioned someone paying for lunch before he went to his tux fitting," Choji added. Naruto laughed nervously and picked up another favor.

"So, you girls gonna teach us how to make these?"

"I will," Ino chirped. "But Sakura has other things to do."

"What?" Sakura's jaw dropped. Ino just snatched the baby blue ribbons from her hands.

"Go take a break," Ino whispered to her. "You look like a tanuki."

Sakura scowled but knew she was right. She was barely sleeping due to working overtime and assisting Ino.

It didn't help that she used any free time to do research in order to help Izumi with her fertility complications.

Sakura did not work in obstetrics but it was a favor asked of her by someone dear to her.

Actually working on it was a slow process. Itachi and Izumi wanted privacy in this matter so instead of consulting a doctor in the field she was training in the OB/GYN department. The more informed she was the less she had to run by a more experienced doctor.

A break...a break would be good…

Following Sasuke down the hall, Izumi wasn't that surprised that he knew exactly where his wife was.

Sakura was late to their first consultation. She found Naruto in a chokehold as Yamanaka Ino yelled at her teammates in Sakura's office.

She was about to ask a nurse for help finding Sakura when she found Sasuke walking down a hall. He caught her eye and then just nodded his head in a gesture for Izumi to follow him.

"This is her favorite room to take a nap in," Sasuke explained when he opened the door to one of the rooms. On the exam table there was a lump of blankets.

Izumi stifled a giggle as she watched Sasuke gently shake the lump. Sakura's pink head poked out of the blankets and then she stretched, clawing her way out of her tangle of blankets.

"Lunch." Sasuke dropped a bento into Sakura's hands. "Izumi says she doesn't mind you eating during her appointment."

Izumi glared at the back of his head. Of course she didn't but he didn't have to decide that for her!

"I'll come by with dinner later."

"What? But━"

"Compromise." Sasuke cleared his throat and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You don't have to take a day off but at least take more breaks."

Sasuke left right after that, not even bothering to give Izumi a second look. The tips of ears were red.

"Trouble in paradise?" Izumi asked cheekily. Sakura narrowed her eyes at her but the apples of her cheeks burned pink.

"Have you ever...had a fight with Itachi where you knew he just wanted what was best for you but at the same time he should respect your wishes?"

"Hmm...well I guess," Izumi took a seat on the examination table next to Sakura, "this would be it."

"I'm sorry but I'm confused." Sakura's brow wrinkled in confusion. Didn't Itachi want kids?

"I've been trying to get pregnant for a while now and it's been stressing me out." Izumi let out a deep exhale. "Itachi doesn't care about having kids. With the exception of Sasuke I should have realized he never actually liked kids. He tried to convince me that it wasn't important and even brought Mimi home to try and change my mind. I was furious."

"But you love Mimi."

"Okay, but what kind of heartless person would take a look at that puppy's face and turn her away?"

Izumi scooted back so she could pull her knees toward her chest.

"I was upset because I felt like he wanted me to just do as he wished. Before we got married and his mother was trying to get us to finally settle down, we said we weren't interested in having children. I thought it was just one of those things he said to rile Mikoto up. I didn't think he actually didn't want children."

Sakura wrapped an arm around Izumi's shoulders. Growing up, Izumi and Itachi were a beautiful and perfect couple in her eyes. She had originally felt silly asking if they had problems but now she just felt ashamed to have put them on some sort of pedestal.

"After my injury it just got worse. When he was trying to be supportive I got mad and yelled at him, telling him that he got what he wanted. No children. But that wasn't it."

"Itachi just didn't want me to go through so much trouble because he didn't want me to keep getting hurt when I couldn't get pregnant. Sometimes he still acts like he doesn't want me to go through with it. But he trusts that you can help us and he respects the fact that I want to do anything if it gives me the chance to have my own child."

"Huh. I just thought━"

"That we never fight?" Izumi's eyes gleamed with mirth. Sakura shrugged sheepishly in response. "Every couple has their issues."

"I guess Sasuke and I are going through something similar. He thinks I work too much and I, well…"

"Have a problem with wanting to help everyone despite what it may do to your own health?"

Sakura sighed. This wasn't new. She had always been a workaholic, Sasuke even accused her of it every now and again. It wasn't as if she didn't work herself this hard before they were married.

But that was before they were married. Back when she would be heading home to her parents and Sasuke wasn't waiting up for her in an empty house.

Maybe...it wouldn't be a problem to go home early at least one night in the week? What was it that Sasuke-kun said? Compromise?

"He's just looking out for you. Because he cares."

"Yeah…" Sakura nodded. "Alright enough of that. Let's get to talking about why we're here."

"Nuh-uh." Izumi wagged her finger. "Not until you eat that bento your cute husband made for you."

"He is super cute isn't he?" Sakura giggled as she opened up her bento box.

She smiled down at it's contents. He had really come along way from being only able to make onigiri.

Author's Note: uh...hello.
This chapter was difficult to write because I'm not in love with it as much as I am with my other fics but I really wanted something out for it's anniversary. I just couldn't finish in time yesterday.

I have good news for readers: there will be another update next week. I wanna write an InoSai wedding.