"Naruko! Naruko! I'm home! Naruko, where are you?" He turned the corner to see her passed out sprawled across their bed. There was a trail of drool hanging out of the corner of her mouth and the tv was still on. He sat down on the bed next to her and shook her awake, "Being pregnant doesn't give you an excuse to be lazy, Dobe."
"Awe five more minutes Teme." She curled around him putting her head in his lap.
"No," He kissed her forehead. "We have to get to the engagement party. Go on." He lightly shoved her. "Get dressed." He brushed the drool from her cheek laughing.
Naruko gently rolled out of bed wandering over to her closet. She shimmied out of her sweat pants and kicked them into her messy pile that Sasuke allowed her to keep in one corner of their room. Sasuke groaned behind her as she pulled on her pleated black skirt. "What?"
"I hate watching you put on clothes." He explained, she laughed.
"Well then watch this," she flirted as she took her shirt off.
"Mmmm," he moaned as he took her waist in his hands. He kissed her neck as she leaned back into him. "We could be a little late." He turned her around, picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist.
"Shikamaru and Temari are our friends," She said as he sat down on the edge of the bed with her on his lap.
"We'll just be a little late," He put one hand on the back of her neck and pulled her into a deep kiss. She rocked her hips on his lap and moaned into the kiss.
"No," she pushed him back so he fell onto the bed. "I had to wake up for this, we're going." She stood up and put a shirt on followed by her trademark orange and black jacket. Sasuke groaned on the bed and put a pillow over his face and bucked his hips in the air. She sighed, staring at him. Then finally walked over and undid his belt and pulled his pants down a little. She ran her tongue all over him before finally taking him in her mouth and sucking. She swallowed as he finally came in her mouth then smacked him in the thigh. "Now get up, we have to go."
Temari greeted them at the door with hugs while Shikamaru stared pointedly at the ceiling then reluctantly offed them his hand to shake. "Congratulations, guys" Naruko said.
"Don't worry, You'll love being married." Sasuke added with a wink causing Naruko to blush bright scarlet. They entered the dimly lit room.
"They could at least wipe the drool off their chins," Naruko began "I mean they're hardly trying to hide it at all..."
"Is the great hero Naruko jealous? " he taunted.
She bit his ear seductively and whispered, "They didn't fuck you on the couch this morning." Sasuke laughed so suddenly he startled his fan-girls who promptly began to pretend they were not just staring at them.
They were the golden couple, the heroes of the world, as dazzling as their sun and moon counterparts in the sky. Sasuke was calm quiet and relaxed, serene by the side of the boisterous, hilarious, gorgeous woman he married. It wasn't even their party and yet everywhere they went heads turned and people flocked.
"You have fans here too," he said with great displeasure noticing the quiet redhead watching them from across the room.
"Oh stars! Gaara," of course he would be here she thought to herself, Temari is his sister but even knowing this she had secretly hoped his business of Kazekage would keep him away.
Sasuke's black eyes bored into Gaara's green ones and they soon forgot the rest of the world. They may have been friends in another life but in this one they loved the same woman and neither was willing to compromise. Shikamaru was first to notice the tension and directed his lovely wife-to-be over to talk with her brother and when Gaara finally turned to talk to his sister Sasuke finally relaxed.
"I'm sorry, I should have known he'd be here tonight. Sasuke?" He eventually turned away from Gaara his expression softening as he looked into her soft blue eyes.
He kissed her forehead, "It's hard for me," he started softly, "knowing that he's the better man and that I don't deserve you."
"Sasuke,"
"He's just a reminder of all the pain I caused you and all the years we lost and the fact that you love him too because I left..." he trailed off shaking his head.
"It's in the past"
"If things had gone just a little differently, if you were just a second slower..." He hung his head, "I would have killed you, more than once, and he knows it." He looked back at Gaara.
"Let the darkness go Sasuke," She pulled his face closer to her so he was looking into her eyes. "I'll be your light, remember? Forever." She moved his hand onto her belly. How could he have forgotten? How could he forget his child, their child. He smiled kissing her on the lips.
Just then Gaara raised his glass and made a loving speech about his sisters engagement and the room raised their glasses "To the happy couple!" then after Sasuke finished his drink he took Naruko's with a happy smile and drank hers too.
"Congratulations...So when are you planning on telling everyone? " Kakashi abruptly appeared behind Naruko causing her to choke on the sweet she was eating.
After Kakashi hit her playfully on the back so she could breathe again she responded, "What are you talking about?"
"About the baby?" He whispered.
"Wa-aa... How?" she stuttered.
He pointed at his face..."Ninja"
Sasuke snorted on the sake at the dumbstruck look on Naruko's face. She recovered quickly hitting Kakashi on the shoulder "We're not telling people yet!"
He smiled happily and put his finger to his masked lips indicating he wouldn't tell, then slapped Sasuke on the back confusing the young man.
"Barely married a month huh?" He winked. Sasuke blushed and laughed nervously, shrugging his shoulders in a noncommittal fashion.
When Kakashi finally left them in peace Naruko buried her face in Sasuke's chest embarrassed. He just looked down at her saying "Now imagine how the rest of the village will react." and laughed. Her eyes were as big a saucers.
"Let's not tell them yet," she said.
"See... Now you finally get it Dobe."
"Teme," She said wandering off to go talk to all her friends.
Sasuke backed into a corner trying to blend in with the wall while he watched her run around laughing and joking with her friends. His eyes followed everything from Hinata's shy gentle touch on her arm to Kibas head lock as he mussed up her hair. He smiled at her laugh when Shikamaru made a face and Temari had hit him on the shoulder. He was so focused on her he missed Gaara's approach.
"She's amazing isn't she?" Sasuke's teeth clenched in response. He had always heard about Naruko and Gaara from others, he had never actually talked to Gaara about it or seen them together. In all their dealings as Hokage amd Kazekage they had always gotten along so well... but now they were just two men at a party.
Only Sasuke's guilt made him back down far enough to mutter "Yes she is."
"You two eloped so we never got to talk before the wedding..." Sasuke's hands tightened into fists. Gaara put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder and in a blur of movement Sasuke grabbed his hand and pulled it off, squeezing him painfully.
Gaaras eyes narrowed pulling his hand away looking deep into Sasuke's eyes. "There's still so much darkness in you and anger. Maybe you should think about who you're really angry at." Then he walked away.
Sasuke watched Gaara make his way across the room towards Naruko. Gaara words were echoing in his head as he watched.
"Gaara," Naruko said soflty when he approached her.
"Naruko," He smiled somewhat sadly.
In response she hugged him tight. "I never should have just left you like that, I should have said something and..."
He cut her off, "Shhh, It was always Sasuke with you. From day one I knew you were his. I fell in love with you anyway. I'm so happy for you." He tucked her hair behind her ear pulling away from the hug. "I really only ever wanted you to be happy."
She smiled back at him, "I am Gaara," She closed her eyes thinking about her baby then opened them and smiled brightly "I really AM!" She laughed.
Infected by her smile Gaara smiled brightly too enveloping her and Temari and Shikamaru in a group hug.
"Temari's getting married!" Naruko yelled.
"My sister's getting married!" Gaara echoed.
"I'm getting married!" Temari yelled while Shikamaru seemed highly uncomfortable. He relaxed as Ino and Choji approached until Choji used his expansion to encircle all five of the others in a bear hug.
"Shikamaru's getting married!" a slightly drunk Ino yelled then added "Choji I can barely breathe!" He laughingly dropped the Jutsu and his friends patting a finally smiling Shikamaru on the back.
