Disclaimer: I only own my OC(s) and the twists and turns along the way.

Bittersweet

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She swallowed hard, and she turned to continue preparing dinner. It didn't even seem like she'd heard me, but I know she did. She liked to ignore things when they weren't going her way. It was almost like how she ignored me as she planned our wedding. Her act didn't last.

"Did you...? You slept with him, didn't you?" She gripped the edge of the counter until her knuckles were a milky white.

"Yes," I admitted as calmly as I could.

"When did this start? Why? Are you gay?" I had the urge to just pinch the bridge of my nose and groan, but I didn't.

"It was an accident. We had too much to drink at the bachelor party. And gay?" I didn't know how to answer her last question. "What a drag...," I muttered. "I like men and women."

"Do you love him?" Her expression seemed neutral, but that was probably because she was belittling herself in her thoughts.

"Yes. I loved you too. I guess, somewhere along the line, we just stopped loving one another," I said and helped her place the food onto serving plates.

"Thanks," she said as she led the way to the table. "You are going to help raise this thing," she answered in her old way.

"Thing? At least pick a sex to define the baby." I sighed as she laughed.

"The baby's a girl," Temari said after some thought.

"Why does the baby have to be a girl?" I challenged her.

"Fine, a boy," Temari said as the front door opened.

"Something smells great!" Kankuro went to grab a cherry from the fruit salad, but Temari smacked his hand. "What was that for?" He slid into a chair and rubbed his hand.

"I'll go collect Gaara," Temari sighed and went towards the young Kazekage's room.

I sat down across from Kankuro. At first, neither of us even attempted moving or looking around. Eventually, his stomach growled and we were forced to make our plates. His hand brushed against mine as we went for the teriyaki.

"You told her," Kankuro said as he piled the noodles onto his plate.

"I told you I would," I frowned and opted for a steamed dumpling.

We ate in silence. My chair creaked as I reached for my cup. Glancing over the rim as I took a drink, I noticed that Kankuro had a nice handprint on his right cheek. I laughed.

"What the hell!" Kankuro shouted as he tried to hide the mark.

"What happened to you?" For a change, he was blushing out of embarrassment.

"I mentioned a few things to Koito. We traded insults, death wishes, and a few jutsus. In the end, she slapped me and declared she was going back to Suna," Kankuro said with a straight face.

"Sounds like Koito," I said and took another bite of food.

"About that night at the hotel, I—you caught me off guard," Kankuro said as he stared down at his plate.

"You don't have to explain. I said what I needed to say." I shrugged and got up to refill my cup.

He grabbed my hand, "no, I need to say something, all right? I was wrong about our actions being harmless. I guess I want to apologize for screwing up your chances at marriage."

"It was screwed up long before our actions," I said with a chuckle.

"Would you let me finish?" Kankuro looked pretty pissed off, so I nodded for him to continue. "I am sorry for screwing up your future, but—. Did you mean what you said at the hotel? Do you love me?" He looked uncomfortable.

"I was drunk at the time, but I meant what I said. I love you. We established that," I said and found myself wanting to make him feel comfortable.

"Do you want to be with me?" I let my thoughts of another drink go out the window.

"Kankuro," I sighed as he continued to ramble on.

I kissed him. His rambling was forced to an end as he responded to the heated kiss. I knew what he was trying to say. He'd wanted to tell me his feelings for me, but he didn't have the courage. I admit that alcohol was good when it came to giving a man courage.

"Not at the table," Gaara interrupted.

"I don't care if I do okay this, that was disgusting. Wipe the drool off your chin, Kankuro," Temari said smartly as she took the remaining seat.

"Ai shiteru." His words were low, but I'd heard them.

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Epilogue

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Sitting there, surrounded by the people that I cared for, I began to wonder about my old academy friends. Nothing in life was as solid as the bonds between human beings, yet, at the same time, nothing was as fragile and fleeing. I wanted to believe that what I had with Kankuro was strong enough to survive. Just that small want, that wish, was enough to make it solid.

Not nine months later, I was a dad. Like I'd said, the child was a boy. He was rather small and he refused to open his eyes for three whole days. Kankuro told me that the kid was as lazy as I was. I agreed. We decided on a name for the brown-haired, blue-eyed boy—Yukimura.

Times continued to change, and the peaceful state between the lands crumbled fast. The year Yukimura turned four, Sunagakure and Konohagakure entered a bloody war with Iwagakure and Kumogakure. Gaara had tried to keep Kankuro from seeing battle, but he had to send Kankuro to the weakened front lines. On Yukimura's birthday, Temari and I received news that Kankuro had been killed.

The Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto, tried to keep the fighting from the country. But again, things fell where they fell. I had to fight alongside some of my old academy companions for the right to call Konoha home. By that battle's end, Konoha was secured; I had to be taken by a medic-nin to the hospital. A kunai had all but shattered my kneecap. I was twenty-three years old.

Sunagakure was not as lucky. The Kazekage, Gaara, had won the village from the enemy Iwa nin, but the battle that took place lasted for weeks, and many civilians died. I was allowed to leave Konoha and travel with a supply line to the village of Sunagakure, but I didn't get there in time. Among the dead was my son. Temari had pleaded for his life, but the enemies weren't humane enough to spare him. Yukimura was only four years old when he died.

I had Kankuro and Yukimura buried on the hill that I used to frequent during my cloud-watching days. When the funeral was over, I lay between the two graves—a spot that would someday house my remains—and stared up at the gray clouds. Clouds did not feel the pain that humans felt, yet they seemed to understand. Kankuro told me that it rarely rained in Sunagakure. I swore the rain was just for him.

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Author Rant

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Ai Shiteru has many different spellings, but it means 'I love you'. I can understand if people aren't happy with the Epilogue, but they were shinobi. Shinobi face dangers everyday, and life and death situations may not always end well.

If anyone has any questions or comments, feel free to send me a message.

Reviews are loverly!

Sayonara.