It wasn’t until he smelled smoke and plastic burning that Sasuke remembered what his mother had told him about the outlet under the bay window.
Having moved out to his own place after knocking up his girlfriend, Sasuke no longer knew the ins and outs of his childhood home. He dropped by occasionally to spend time with his mother but ever since he was accepted into college he was barely at his parents’ house and wouldn’t know anything about faulty outlets.
He should have been paying attention to his mother more.
Sasuke had one job: decorate the Christmas tree. He could have gone to pick up Itachi from the airport but sitting in a car with Izumi and Shisui for forty-five minutes was something he wanted to avoid. He couldn’t argue against their inclusion because if Sasuke could bring his significant other why couldn’t Itachi bring his? Even if those two were some of the most annoying…
It was too late to regret switching tasks with his parents. What was done was done.
“Hello?” The front door clicked open and there was a rustling of someone carrying multiple bags through the doorway.
Tossing the fire extinguisher to the side, Sasuke stood in front of the burnt tree trying his best to hide it.
“It smells awful in here!” Sakura waddled into the family room, arms full of gift bags.
“Should you be carrying so much?”
“I’m pregnant not an invalid.” Sakura scowled before plopping down on the couch. She had a slight waddle in her walk now but that wasn’t going to stop her from carrying on with her life. “Okay. What did you do?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sasuke crossed his arms trying to act as nonchalant as possible. Sakura simply raised an eyebrow and then lifted herself off of the couch, using both arms for support.
“You destroyed your father’s fake tree.” Sakura bit her lip to try and contain a grin from spreading on her face. “You somehow burned down his flame retardant tree.”
“Can you open some of the windows? Maybe the smell will go away before they get back.”
Sasuke began to disassemble the tree, trying to think up a solution to his predicament. There was no way he was going to be able to get a tree three days before Christmas and before his parents came home. It was a good thing all he had done was plug in the lights. No way he was going to get away with destroying his mother’s precious handmade ornaments.
Although he did wish she would toss out the tomato ornament he had made for her when he was seven.
“So what are we gonna do?” Sakura shuffled back into the family room with a trash bag for the tree.
“We can always go steal Naruto’s tree,” Sasuke suggested. He wasn’t being serious. He knew Sakura wouldn’t agree to that.
“No we can’t━”
See, exactly as he thought━
“━he somehow convinced his mother to use a cactus Gaara sent him instead of a traditional tree. Mikoto would never go for a cactus.”
Or not.
Sasuke should not have been surprised that she had also contemplated stealing Naruto’s tree and throwing him to the wolves. Better him than them.
“Do you think your parents would mind if we borrow theirs?”
“They didn’t get one this year since they’re on that cruise.” Sakura rolled her eyes. Kizashi and Mebuki hadn’t even thought twice about spending the holiday on a cruise.
Sighing, Sasuke tied up the garbage bag and took it out. He would just have to endure his father’s disappointed looks and his mother’s sniffling.
He was just about to turn back up the drive when Sakura called out to him.
“Heads up!”
Sasuke caught their car keys at the last moment before they hit him square in the chest.
“What?”
“I know how we can get another tree.”
“A-and I forgot about the outlet ‘cause of this stupid pregnancy brain,” Sakura sobbed, face in her hands. “And now Mikoto is going to be mad at me! I’m so stupid!”
Obito didn’t know what he had expected when he opened the door but it definitely wasn’t his cousin and his pregnant girlfriend. His cousin’s crying pregnant girlfriend.
“And I-I just don’t know what t-to do!” Sakura wailed.
Sasuke shifted on the balls of his feet nervously. On the ride over to Obito’s house Sakura told him to just be quiet and let her do all of the talking. He hadn’t expected her to spontaneously burst into tears when they parked their car in Obito’s driveway.
“It can’t be that bad.” Obito made to comfort Sakura but pulled back when Sakura let out a loud wail. “Sakura it will be fine, Auntie loves you! She won’t mind at all━”
At that Sakura uncovered her face and looked up at Obito with glassy jade eyes full of hope.
“A-are you sure?” Sakura hiccuped and tried to calm her breathing. “Because it seems like I’m always screwing up. Like first I get knocked up while I’m still in school,” Sasuke choked on air, knowing he had taken part in that, “and now I’m destroying their Christmas decorations.”
“Look how about you just take my tree.” Obito scratched the back of his head nervously. “It’s not like I need one. I’ll be spending the holiday with you guys anyway.”
“R-really? You’ll let us have your tree?” Sakura gave a watery chuckle and shook her head. “That would be so nice of you, Obito.”
“Yeah, of course! What’s family for, right?” He nudged Sasuke in the ribs and nodded his head toward his living room. “Come on, Sasuke. Let’s load it onto your car.”
After a bunch of struggling to strap Obito’s live tree onto the hood of their car, Sakura and Sasuke were pulling out of Obito’s driveway as he waved goodbye to them.
“See? Problem solved.” Sakura pulled out makeup wipes from her purse and cleaned up any mess her tears could have made with her mascara.
“Do you do that all of the time?” Sasuke had to ask. “Like with me?”
“What? Of course not!” Sakura laughed and punched him playfully on the arm.
“Not even when you want me to rub your feet? Or when you don’t want to go to the store?”
“Never!” Sakura held her hand to her chest dramatically. “I don’t like what you’re insinuating.”
Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her but just rolled his eyes and kept his eyes on the road.
At least they had a new tree now. Even if was through a dirty trick he had to admit, Sakura’s brains really did save him.
“But seriously, how about that one time━”
“Are you really accusing the mother of your child of manipulation?”
“Whatever. Just know that I’ll be on the lookout for that now.”
“Like you could even tell the difference,” Sakura challenged.
“I bet I could.”
Sakura narrowed her eyes at him and he just smirked.
“You haven’t been able to tell yet,” Sakura muttered.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing!”
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