Hanging Out

Chapter 1:

Winter seemed to be over. The cold snowy days had been gone for over a week. Sure a few days had a chill to the air. The last few days had even been raining. Today though it was pretty. The sun was hung in the sky with no rain clouds in sight. The grass seemed greener.

It was nice to get out with the baby. Even though Kakashi couldn't be with them. Someone had to keep the income coming in though. Iruka sighed as he inhaled the fresh air. Being trapped inside was horrible. He looked in the stroller and smiled. The baby, which wasn't really a baby he was actually five years old in a month, was sleeping away the nice day.

Since two males can not make a baby this child was not his son. The boy in the stroller was no relation to him at all, he was only a guardian of the child; or in Iruka's eyes the baby. All the same to Iruka though. He cared for the child as if he were his blood, acted as a mother and even better than some mothers. He dressed the boy and was teaching him how to tie his shoes. Feed the child and kissed his scrapes and boo-boos.

Iruka had always wanted a child. Even after he knew he was gay. He had at first thought about how the world would look at a child raised by two men. How that child would look at his fathers when he grew old enough to understand. Now though, he didn't care. He'd show the world two men could raise a child right. This had only occurred to him a month ago though, when he ended up with a child.

Not that children fall from the sky. He was sad about how he had been given this little miracle. He hoped the little boy in the stroller would not remember how it had happened. He infact wished he could forget it. Shaking his head of the thought Iruka smiled as they reached the park.

It was a small park, not a lot to do. A few swings and a slide, a sandbox and a old tire swing. Few other children were here. He knew them though. Sakura and Ino played on the swings. The two girls were racing to swing higher then the other. Sasuke sat at the top of the slide, too scared to slide down but trying to put on a brave face. Itachi, Sasuke's older brother, sat on bench reading. It seemed he was the babysitter for the three. He glanced up and gave a nod as Iruka walked over.

Iruka knew all the kids in the area. It was his job to know them. In a few years they would be seated in his class waiting to learn. Just as Itachi had just a short time ago. "Hello Itachi." Iruka greeted.

"Iruka." Itachi looked towards the kids under his care. "Is he going to join them?"

Iruka looked in the stroller, the eyes of the boy were open and watching something intently. Iruka followed the boys stare to the child in the sandbox. One he had over looked when coming here. He knew the boy, what was his name though? No wonder everyone forgot the boy. He was dressed in clothes to big and with holes all in them, rope seemed to be holding up the boys pants. His unruly hair was dirty as was his whole body. Not the kind of dirty children get from playing in sandbox. He was also not just dressed to play outside. It was the same outfit Iruka saw the boy in each time he laid eyes on the child.

"Are you going to go play?" Itachi asked the child in the stroller. The boy glanced at him and gave a nod. "Sasuke looks like he might need a push down the slide." Itachi looked over to his brother who seemed to be stuck to scared to go down the slide and to scared to go back down the ladder.

"Go ahead and play." Iruka smiled as his baby got up. The smile faded as he headed for the boy in the sand box.

"Better to keep him away from that child." Itachi spoke not looking away from his book.

"He's just a boy. It's not his fault. Blame the parents for not taking care of what was given to them." Iruka frowned. As much as he wanted to shoo the child away, and he really did, he watched the two instead.

"Hi… My names Naruto." The boy looked down at the sand. "Wanna play?"

The other said nothing only sat down and began to sculpt a castle. Naruto watched as it came to shape. The other boy glanced up at him and nodded to the castle.

Naruto blinked, then gave a smile as he started to help. He talked to the boy. The boy with red hair. The boy who had not spoke one word to him, so he couldn't talk with him. The castle was built and looked great, Naruto added a few rocks he had brought from home and took the red headed boys hands to drag him off his butt. "Now lets crush it together!" Naruto laughed and the redhead looked at the castle. "On the count of three?" The redhead gave a nod. "One, … Two, … Three!" Holding one hand of the redheads Naruto jumped as did his redhead sand castle building new friend. They crushed it under there shoes, one pair of nice new shoes and one pair of what once seemed to be shoes and now looked little more that holy leather bound to the boys feet.

Iruka looked at his watch. He needed to get home and start on dinner. "Come on it's time to go!" He called in the boys direction. Both turned to look and both frowned. "Come on, Gaara!" Iruka added and the red head boy turned to the blonde, he shrugged lightly and walked away. Naruto waved and called out that he'd be there tomorrow. Gaara looked back and nodded lightly.

Iruka pushed the stroller as Gaara walked by his side. "Did you have fun today?" He asked the boy at his side. He got a shrug.

Iruka continued to ask questions and continued to get no reply. Gaara hadn't spoken since the morning of the events that lead to him being in Iruka's care. When he was checked by the doctor they found nothing wrong with him. The psychiatrist tried to get him to talk but could not. They had said he'd talk when he wanted too. Being in a traumatic event had that effect on some people.

Iruka opened the door to their house and Gaara went to the bathroom to use it and wash up.