Blossom

Chapter Fifteen: Chimera

Sasuke sat on the couch, Haruna laying on his chest while she slept as he scrolled through business modules on his iPad. He would glance at her occasionally when she made soft sounds, but ultimately, the two remained in silence as the late hours of the night progressed.

The four month old baby had been crying all night and had managed to stop her wailing the moment he took her out of her room. He had walked around the house a few times, patting her back soothingly as she stared at everything with wide teary eyes. Sasuke had found himself standing in Hinata's old room for a few minutes, wondering if the calming scent of the lavender would have the same effect on her as it usually does for him.

He was right to do so.

Haruna has shifted in his arms, trying to see what he was seeing. She wondered why her father stopped walking but didn't make a sound. Sasuke picked up one of the old blankets and continued his walk around the house before settling in the living room. He had covered himself and Haruna with the blanket, the lavender scent immediately lulling her to sleep. He figured that the young child somehow managed to pick up the familiar scent from the short time she had spent in Hinata's presence.

That, or lavender really was a wonderful thing that helped with calming down the nerves of every feisty baby on the planet.

He didn't think much of it whilst he worked, and he soon joined Haruna in the land of dreams as his body relaxed under the warm blanket.

Sakura had found the two laying on the couch, wrapped up like a burrito with no intentions of getting up. She looked at the display of affection from Sasuke with soft eyes. As quietly as she could, she prepared breakfast for Sarada and herself, knowing that her husband wouldn't be waking up until much later.

"Good morning!" Sarada skipped into the kitchen with a wide grin on her face.

"Shh." Sakura pressed her finger to her lips and pointed to the living room. "Your father and sister are sleeping."

"Oh...sorry." She sat down at the kitchen island and kicked her feet happily instead. "What are we having for breakfast?" She whispered, folding her hands neatly on the marble surface.

"Scrambled eggs, waffles and some juice." Sakura got the things she needed out of the fridge, and popped the frozen waffles into the toaster.

"We had that yesterday." Sarada pouted, "can we have blueberry pancakes today?"

"You'd be late for school and I'll be late for work." Sakura shook her head, tending to the eggs carefully. Her daughter was really picky with how her eggs were made.

"I thought you weren't working anymore." She pouted. "Do you have to go?"

"I've always been working, Sara, just not at the hospital. Today, however, I have to go see someone very important." She placed the eggs onto a plate, as well as two waffles and set it down in front of Sarada. Handing her glass of apple juice and the maple syrup, she then fixed herself a plate similar to her daughter's. "I'll drop you off at school and your father would pick you up."

"Okay..." Sarada ate her food quietly, watching her mother eat as well. "Can we go to the park when you're finished with work?"

"If I'm home early, then we can." She nodded and took a sip of her coffee. "Is Shikadai coming to visit you today? I remember you talking about it; is that why you want to go to the park?"

"Mhm! He said he has some new colouring books he got for me when he went to Suna." She pushed her empty plate and glass to the side.

"Why can't he give you those at school?"

Sarada shrugged, "if everyone sees him give me gifts they'll say we're dating." She made a disgusted face.

"Oh? Do you like him?"