Dreams of the Past

A New Start

Chapter 18

A New Start

Sakura woke to a soft whimpering cry. Her eyes snapped open and she blearily looked around, trying to understand the sound. Tenzō. That's right, they had Tenzō now.

Tenzō!

Her arm shot out, searching for him. He had been in her arms when she'd fallen asleep. Where is he?

She sat up and... found Kakashi standing in the open shōji doorway, facing the engawa and the garden beyond, shrouded in the fading mist as the sun came up. Two skinny little legs dangled on either side of his waist and he was swaying slightly back and forth. He was humming again.

She blinked, and rubbed her eyes.

Nope. The sight hadn't changed. Kakashi was soothing the fussing little boy, looking like some kind of tired, parenting pro. What the heck?

Tossing back the duvet, she stood and crossed to stand beside him. He glanced down at her when she lay her face on his bicep and smoothed a hand through Tenzō's hair. "I'm sorry we woke you."

She gave a gentle shake of her head, rubbing tired eyes. "It's fine. I woke up and panicked for a second when he wasn't beside me. Is he okay?"

"Hm." He peeked down at the boy in his arms, nodding to himself when he noted his closed eyes. "I think he had a nightmare. I woke up when he started flailing and picked him up and brought him out here before he could start fussing."

She snorted softly. "Who are you and where did you learn how to take such good care of babies?"

His eyes flicked to hers and he huffed. "I don't know how to... not really. I—" He sighed, looking away. "I have faint memories of my father, when I was small." He squeezed his eyes shut as if trying to remember. "Having nightmares, being held, his scent, being out here in the cool night air. It just... seemed like the right thing to do for him."

Her head fell to the side as she watched them, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. There was something about this—Kakashi, one of the strongest, most deadly, protective men she knew—holding this small child, comforting him, chasing away his bad dreams, that made her want to melt into a puddle. Definitely at least five. "Cute."

His brows furrowed and he glanced back down at her. "What?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

He snorted—the breath stirring Tenzō's brown hair—but the amusement was short lived. "Hiruzen wants him raised in R&D."

Rage burned through the tender feelings. "Over my dead body."

His brows knit and he looked down at her again, as serious as she'd ever seen him. "He would have to kill me and probably Sakumo to even touch you, Sakura." A thrill shot through her. "He's ours. Sakumo's word is all that matters, and Hiruzen won't risk offending the other clans by trying to take him."

She relaxed. "He's ours." Tenzō whined softly, drawing both of their focus. "I am going to make breakfast. He's probably unfamiliar with hunger pains so I'm sure he'll fuss. Will you be okay?"

He looked at her, bored, almost annoyed. Seriously?

Patting Tenzō's back, she nodded. She didn't have any more experience with this than he did. Just because she was a woman didn't mean she'd be any better at it. "Fine. I'm going."

<>

It was a good thing she'd recently made a few quarts of stock ahead with her grandmother for meals. She had just managed to get her chicken parts and vegetables into a pot and some of her grandmother's stock melting in another when Kakashi joined her. Tenzō was wailing and kicking his legs and rubbing his face back and forth against Kakashi's chest.