Notes: After this chapter there won't be any updates until further notice. 50% because I fell twice yesterday and I'm cut and bruised and 50% because zOMG! launches tomorrow so much hype while I heal. I fell the first time washing my dog and the second time off a bicycle XD
Adjustment
Arrival
Iruka hovered by the doorway while Naruto handed him a packed lunch. After his nap the previous afternoon he summed up his conversation with Itachi but left out when they would meet. If he told Iruka that it was in a mere two days the man would insist on staying and supervising or something. Maybe even volunteer to come along and care for Minato but he didn't want that. He wanted to just have an uneventful lunch, a PG lunch, while holding his kid as a shield from unwanted attention.
It was a known fact that alphas didn't like kids who weren't theirs.
Well, psychologists said that only a mere 15% of alphas were actually like that but Naruto believed that it was at least 99% and that 1% was Kakashi and he alone. Kakashi was awesome.
"Maybe I can run you through some scenarios? Maybe give you some questions? I mean you don't really know what they expect of you right? So you should ask them questions like if they want kids or if they'll let you work-"
Naruto cut Iruka off with a tight hug and a kiss to the cheek, "I'll be fine mom. C'mon. You can't stay here any longer or Kakashi will burn down the house trying to cook." Iruka snorted but he looked at his car reluctantly. "I'll be fine. I already know what I want to ask." Only one question was important anyways.
Iruka pursed his lips but huffed and sighed. He smiled lovingly at his son as he ran his hand through Naruto's hair and tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. "If at any time you want me to come back and kick alpha ass," he said with a whisper and Naruto laughed out loud, "I will break every traffic law to get here." He finished with a disarming smile but Naruto didn't think he was joking. They shared another hug before the older man finally let go and dragged his luggage to the car.
"Don't forget to eat. Don't just drive straight even if you want to beat traffic."
"Sheesh, who's the mother here?" Naruto grinned at him and hugged his sides as he watched Iruka's car pull away from the curb and drive off. He closed and locked the door behind him before he went back to his room after grabbing one of Minato's pudding cups. He glanced at the landline as he passed and sneered at the amount of missed calls and voice messages he had then continued on. In his room he was greeted by his son who was standing by supporting himself with the rim of the crib and waiting for him to return.
"Hey!" He said loudly grinning. Minato grinned back at him with his sole two bottom teeth. Naruto wondered if he should brush them. Even though Minato was awake it was better he not see Iruka leave because that would be a tantrum he wouldn't calm down from for at least an hour.
Naruto scooped Minato out of the crib and sat him on a towel on the bed while he fed him small spoonfuls of the pudding. He loved pudding. Naruto hoped he would love baby food just the same.
Naruto watched him with a small smile. Really, he was the luckiest man in the world. Other than the mess with his heat, Minato was so well behaved and when the cup of pudding was done Minato look more confused than Naruto had ever seen him. He couldn't help chuckling, it was like the cub was asking him, "mom, where's the rest of the sweet mush?" He touched Naruto's wrist that was holding the spoon and opened his mouth as wide as he could. Naruto chucked before he planted a sloppy kiss on Minato's wet cheek and then nommed on his bulging belly. Speaking of belly, Naruto squeezed the extra fat around his own belly and ran his fingers down his stretch marks. He'd been meaning to lose the weight but between mom-ing and working he hadn't found the time.
In his heat induced fantasies the Uchiha brothers had ravished him without a paying attention to his body but now the thought of taking one of them as his mate and being intimate with that person made him feel uneasy and embarrassed of himself.
He poked Minato in the tummy and laid down beside him on his back while he stared up at the white ceiling. He shouldn't feel self conscious, he thought as he watched Minato stare longingly at the empty cup of pudding, he hadn't led them on and he didn't express any interest in them so why should he feel bad about being a couple pounds over weight?
He ruffled Minato's soft hair and smiled back when Minato smiled at him. He clapped his hands and drooled and was just all around happy. "Hey Mina, you love mommy right?" Minato gurgled and spit up on himself. "I'm pretty sure that's a yes ain't it?" he said with a snort as he scooped Minato up into his arms and carried him to the bathroom.
He moved on autopilot as he washed Minato and dressed him and then washed himself and then he went to clean. The house was relatively spotless. Only the sheets he used and some of Minato's bottles and toys needed a washing. He decided a good old fashioned hand washing was in order. It should help him clear his mind. He scrubbed and rinsed and hung to dry even the curtains before he picked new ones to put out. Minato cried three times that day. Twice when he was hungry and the third time because he didn't want to be left in the house alone and had no problem sucking on a pacifier while he sat by Naruto's side holding a tiny fistful of Naruto's shirt. Iruka's absence seemed to have dawned on him.
As much as he scrubbed and cleaned, when Minato finally went down for his nap he stared at himself in the full length mirror in his bathroom and pinch and pulled at the loose skin at his midsection. Maybe... he should join a gym. Maybe a few sit ups wouldn't hurt. He bit his lip before he turned away and hoped into the shower. He stood under the spray for a while. The local gym was at least an hour away, he wasn't sure, he'd never been. His government subsidiary would be stretched thin if he bought a gym membership and dipping into his savings seemed ridiculous.
The rest of the sunny day only irritated Naruto and sullied his mood. Only Minato's innocent smiles served as his reprieve. In the end he ate ramen noodles, breastfed Minato and then went to bed angrily cuddling his pup.
Notes: This chapter was a bit angsty with a sprinkle of insecurities but all will be well. Fret ye not!
Extra 1: Thank you all for reading and I just want to put this here even though it's not related but The Village hit 300 reviews! If you came here from that then thank you for your continued support!
Extra 2: I'm still looking out for those wishes! "If you could wish for any one thing to have/happen what would it be?"
