"Mommy, mommy!" A small voice echoed from the living room, repeating it's pattern until it reached the kitchen and into Naruto's lap. "Can you tell me a bedtime story please?" Asher gripped onto Naruto's shirt and stared straight into his dad's eyes.
Naruto smiled at his son and calmly said "Not tonight Asher, tomorrow I promise."
Asher turned his gaze and looked back up at Naruto with dissatisfied eyes and a scowl. "You always say that... tomorrow I'm asking father."
Asher hopped down and walked over to the couch. After 15 minutes of looking through Naruto's mess of scrolls on the table he started to nod off so the blonde walked over quietly, picked his son up gently and walked into Asher's room to put him to sleep. "Look at you, already falling asleep." As he layed Asher down to bed he kissed him gently on the forehead and whispered, "Daddy comes home tonight, so he can read to you tomorrow."
As the still new father was exiting he smiled at his son. "Sweet dreams, sleep safe." Naruto switched off the light and headed back into the living room.
Hours passed and Naruto himself began to slowly drift off. He caught himself and glanced over at the time. A small frown tugged at his lips and a huge sigh emitted from his mouth. 'I guess I'll lock the doors then since he seems to not be coming back...' Naruto thought as he stood up slowly and proceeded along the wooden floor. 'I hate doing this to the boys...'
Just as he was about to lock the front door, it swung open and there was Sasuke, panting and out of breath. His clothes were obviously worn and his hair a mess. "Sasuke, what-" "Go get the the boys in the same room together and stay with them!" Sasuke gripped to the doorframe and transferred whatever pain he had to it. Naruto stood for a moment, shocked at his husband's appearance. He hasn't seen Sasuke hurt in a long time... Not since... "Mommy, is father ok?"
The small voice pierced the silence. Asher and his little brother Navi stood at the hallway entrance, Navi crouched behind Asher and the oldest staring into his parent's eyes.
Naruto stuttered, "Y-yes he will be ok, Asher, take Navi back into his room and stay with him, I'll be there shortly." Navi got up and grabbed Asher's hand. "But father doesn't LOOK ok..." The worried child's eyebrow furrowed and his eyes deep with concern.
Sasuke grunted. "Listen to your mother boys, GO." The kids ran back down the hallway and Sasuke collapsed to the floor.
Naruto picked his husband up, locked the door behind him and ran as fast as he could with Sasuke on his back to the couch. The blonde tuned on a light and examined his raven.
"What in the hell happened?" Naruto's voice was deep with worry. Sasuke tried to sit up and moaned a bit before falling back onto his back. "There are these ninja, when I was on my mission. They were from no village... urgh... Just, black-coated and had masks like anbu..." Sasuke writhed in pain as Naruto tended to his bloody knee. "Is it broken?" The raven asked between breaths.
Naruto pressed on it once again. Screams came from the raven. "Yes."
"Look, sleep with the boys tonight in our room, I'll be okay in the hospital, just watch them, don't let them out of your sight." Naruto finished cleaning the blood off Sasuke's knee and looked up at his husband straight in the eyes. "What do they want with our sons?"
