† Sakura †

The hospital smelled faintly of antiseptic and burnt coffee, and somewhere in the distance, someone’s shoes squeaked down the hallway. Dr. Shuntarō Chishiya had long stopped noticing either sound. His focus was entirely on the chart in his hands, the lines of an EKG as familiar to him as the back of his own hand.

He was, by all accounts, a man who didn’t feel much — or at least didn’t show it. Even in a hospital full of adrenaline junkies, Chishiya was an enigma: calm, detached, and eerily composed. His colleagues could be shouting, the OR could be a mess, but he’d still be steady, monotone, efficient.

Which was why, when one of the nurses asked with a teasing smile, “So, Dr. Chishiya, how’s married life? Your wife’s due soon, right?” — he didn’t flinch.

He just said, “She’s fine.”

They all rolled their eyes. “You could at least pretend to sound excited.”

He only gave them that small, knowing half-smile — the one that made people unsure if he was amused or just done with the conversation. “I’m a heart surgeon,” he replied. “I see excitement every day. I don’t need more of it at home.”

What he didn’t add was that his wife was literally the definition of excitement lately.

Because while the rest of the world thought Dr. Shuntarō Chishiya was unflappable, only one person had ever seen him break his poker face — you.

And you didn’t even mean to.

It was almost 9 p.m. when he finally pulled into the driveway. His hands were still faintly stained from gloves, the faint scent of soap and hospital disinfectant clinging to him. The house was dark except for a warm glow spilling from the living room.

He exhaled slowly. Home. Finally

When he opened the door, he heard it — the sound of sniffles.

Immediately alert, he dropped his bag near the entryway and stepped out of his shoes. “(Y/N)?”

You were curled up on the couch under a blanket, phone in hand, face red and blotchy from crying.

His pulse kicked up slightly, reflexive concern, trained instinct — until he caught sight of your phone screen. A cat video. A compilation of kittens meowing softly at the camera.

You hiccuped. “They’re so small, Shuntarō.”

He blinked. “...The cats?”

You nodded miserably. “They can’t even open their eyes yet. They just want love!”

He sighed, crossing the room and sitting down beside you. “You’ve watched that same video about ten times this week.”

“I know!” you wailed, wiping your nose with a tissue. “And it’s still sad!”

He didn’t say anything at first, just brushed a strand of hair off your face. Then, with that calm voice that could command an entire OR, he murmured, “You’re crying over happy kittens, love.”

You sniffled. “I’m pregnant. I have feelings.”

That got him, a soft, rare smile tugging at his lips. “Clearly.”

You huffed, crossing your arms. “You’re so mean. You don’t even miss me, do you?”

That startled him. “What?”

“I said, you don’t miss me!” you repeated, your voice trembling as tears started welling again. “You come home so late every night, and I’m just here alone, and I miss you, and you probably don’t even think about me while you’re doing all your— your doctor things!”

Chishiya blinked twice. Then again. Slowly.

He’d faced heart attacks, cardiac arrests, chaotic emergencies — and yet, somehow, this was what truly left him speechless.

Finally, he let out a quiet sigh, leaning closer until his forehead rested against yours. “You’re ridiculous,” he whispered, but his tone was fond. “Of course I miss you.”

You frowned, lip trembling. “You don’t say it enough.”

“Because every time I do, you cry.”

“That’s not true!”

“It is,” he said, brushing his thumb under your eye. “You cried when I said ‘good morning’ yesterday. And again when I said ‘you look beautiful.’”

You sniffed. “Well, maybe if you weren’t so nice I wouldn’t cry.”

He couldn’t help it — he laughed. Not the small, sarcastic chuckle his coworkers heard, but a soft, warm sound that was all for you.

You narrowed your eyes, offended, even as tears still streaked your cheeks. “You’re laughing at me.”

“I’m laughing near you,” he corrected. “Different thing.”

You swatted his arm weakly. “You’re insufferable.”

“And you’re beautiful when you’re mad.”

That earned him a glare — followed by a watery smile you couldn’t suppress.

The next day, when he got home, you were in a completely different mood.

“Hi, baby!” you cheered, running — well, waddling — to the door to greet him. You were glowing, wearing one of his oversized shirts, and clutching a bowl of strawberries.

He blinked at the whiplash. “You’re...happy?”

“Of course I am! You’re home!” You wrapped your arms around him as best as you could, pressing your face into his chest. “Did you eat? Are you tired? Do you want me to run you a bath? Wait, I made dinner! Oh! And I washed your scrubs!”

Chishiya stood there, coat half-off, eyes slightly wide. “Did you nap today?”

“A little!” you said proudly. “Only cried once!”

“Progress,” he murmured dryly.

You didn’t notice the teasing. “And I watched this video where a baby heard his mom’s voice for the first time with hearing aids, and I—” your voice broke off, and he immediately tensed, but you shook your head quickly, smiling again. “—but I didn’t cry this time! Okay, maybe a little.”

He chuckled, cupping your face. “You’re unbelievable.”

You leaned into his hand, eyes fluttering shut. “You love it.”

He did. More than he could say.

Later that evening, you were curled up in bed watching random videos while he read next to you.

Everything was peaceful. You were giggling at some stupid meme, the sound of your laughter soft and contagious. He allowed himself to glance up from his book, just for a second — watching your expression change with each video, your eyes bright and happy.

Then the next video autoplayed.

A slow, melancholy piano began to play. The screen showed a montage of couples growing old together, the kind with captions like “True love lasts forever.”

Your face crumpled instantly.

“Oh no,” he muttered.

You sniffed loudly. “It’s so sweet, Shuntaro. They’ve been together since high school and he still holds her hand even though she has Alzheimer’s.”

He closed his book with a resigned sigh. “Here we go again.”

“She doesn’t even remember him, but he still visits her every day!” you wailed, clutching the pillow to your chest. “That’s— that’s what love is supposed to be!”

Chishiya reached over and gently took your phone, locking it before you could scroll further down the emotional abyss of the internet. “Okay, that’s enough TikTok for today.”

“Hey!”

“You’ve cried three times in one hour. Your tear ducts need a break.”

You frowned up at him, eyes glassy. “You don’t understand, you’re emotionally constipated.”

He snorted. “That’s a new diagnosis.”

“Yeah, and I’m the doctor now.”

He set your phone on the nightstand and leaned in, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “You’re cute when you’re bossy.”

“I’m always cute.”

“I won’t argue that.”

That finally drew a laugh out of you — a soft, sniffling one, but genuine.

And that, he thought quietly, was worth more than any successful surgery.

A few days later, one of his colleagues caught him smiling at his phone during lunch.

“Okay, that’s it,” the nurse said, squinting suspiciously. “What’s got you smiling, Dr. Emotionless?”

Chishiya didn’t look up. “Nothing.”

The surgeon next to him leaned over. “Is it your wife again?”

“She sent me a video,” he said simply.

“What kind of video?”

He paused. “…A raccoon washing grapes.”

There was a collective groan around the table.

“Seriously? That’s what makes you smile?”

He shrugged. “She said it reminded her of me.”

The nurse snorted. “Because you’re both emotionally detached and like to wash things?”

He smirked faintly. “Because we both use our hands a lot.”

The entire table groaned louder.

“Gross, Chishiya.”

He only smirked more.

That night, when he got home, you were on the floor, sitting cross-legged in front of the baby crib you’d just assembled.

You looked exhausted but proud, rubbing your belly absently as you admired your work.

“Hey,” he murmured, kneeling beside you. “You actually did it.”

You beamed at him. “I’m nesting. It’s a thing.”

He reached out and steadied your hand, seeing the faint tremor from your effort. “You could’ve waited for me to help.”

“I wanted to surprise you.”

He exhaled softly, then leaned in to kiss your temple. “You always do.”

You leaned your head against his shoulder, suddenly quiet. “You think I’ll be a good mom?”

He turned to look at you — at your soft eyes, your worried frown, the vulnerability that came in waves lately.

“(Y/N),” he said quietly, “you cry because a cartoon dog gets lost and laugh because someone sneezed like a duck. You already care too much. You’ll be perfect.”

You laughed through a sniffle. “That’s not a medical opinion.”

“It’s a personal one.”

You smiled at him, soft and watery. “You’re sweet sometimes.”

“Only for you.”

That night, as you both lay in bed, you reached for his hand, resting it on your belly.

He blinked, startled by the gentle movement beneath his palm.

“She’s kicking,” you whispered. “She does that when she hears your voice.”

He didn’t say anything for a long moment, just stared at your stomach — the faint thump against his hand making his chest tighten in ways he couldn’t explain.

Finally, his lips curved into that tiny, private smile again. “Guess she’s impatient. Just like her mother.”

You giggled, swatting him lightly. “You love us both.”

He didn’t deny it this time. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “I really do.”

The next morning, he left for work before sunrise. You were still asleep, curled up on his side of the bed, wearing his shirt and hugging one of his pillows.

He paused by the door, taking in the sight — the peaceful mess of blankets, your hair spilling across the pillow, one hand resting protectively over your stomach.

For someone who prided himself on logic, Chishiya couldn’t quite rationalize why his chest ached in the best possible way.

Maybe this was the one part of his life he didn’t need to analyze — the one thing that didn’t need to be measured, dissected, or fixed.

Because no matter how unpredictable your moods were — whether you were laughing, crying, or scolding him for being “too pretty to be a doctor” — you were his constant.

And if the hospital was where he fixed hearts, home was where his own finally learned how to beat for something other than survival.

Thank you for reading!