Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. They all belong to Kishimoto, but the plot is mine.
Author's Note: UNBETA'D!
Here it is, hot off the press! As a warning, there is a decent amount of dialog in this chapter. I apologize to those who dislike that, but it was required.
Read, review, and please enjoy!
Beginning of February (Eight Weeks Later)
Snow crunched under foot as the pair made their way down an empty street. It was fairly early in the morning and everyone was still indoors, either due to the cold or to the time. Sasuke shivered as a breeze blew down the street, creating a freezing wind tunnel. The large coat he wore seemed to do little to nothing about keeping out the cold. The raven glanced over at the man walking merrily beside him. Lee seemed completely unaffected by the chilly weather. The brunette wore only a coat. His hair hung loose around his shoulders, acting as earmuffs. Sasuke shivered once again and wondered for the hundredth time within twenty minutes why he had let Lee convince him to come for a walk this early in the morning.
As he watched Lee talk adamantly about the last mission he had been on, eyes alight and face glowing, Sasuke knew the answer. It didn't matter if it was three in the morning, he would wake up form a dead sleep to spend time with this person. He sighed internally, shoving his hands further into his pockets. He knew he was going to have to tell the brunette soon, but doubt still crept into his thoughts. He seriously needed to have a heart to heart with someone. And have it soon.
Lee paused in his description of the fight he had had with a bandit on his last mission to glance over at the younger man walking beside him. Sasuke shivered as he watched, burrowing the lower half of his face further into the scarf wrapped around his neck. Lee frowned. The cold had never really bothered him too much. His body temperature seemed to be higher than normal. A coat and a long sleeved shirt had always been enough for him. He hadn't really considered how it might affect someone else.
"We can go inside if your cold," Lee told his friend, a bit embarrassed that he hadn't thought of it sooner. Sasuke glanced over at him and Lee could see the muscles in his cheeks tense as the Uchiha smiled under his scarf.
"I'm fine, really," Sasuke told him after tugging the cloth from in front of his mouth. He smiled so Lee could see, but the brunette wasn't very convinced, especially when the raven shivered when another breeze blew through the area. Lee opened his mouth to protest but Sasuke interrupted him.
"Have you talked to Sakura yet?" the raven asked, watching the expression on his companion's face. It had taken him weeks to finally work what had really happened out of the brunette. And even then Lee didn't really go into detail about it. Sasuke wasn't going to force any information out of the man. Lee frowned harder and rubbed at the back of his neck.
"Well, no. Not yet. I'm not sure what to say to her," he said after a moment. Sasuke only nodded, waiting for the older man to continue. Lee glanced over at him before watching his feet sink into the thin layer of snow that covered the ground.
"I mean, I'm not really in love with her anymore. I don't know if it was ever really love that I felt for her. I know I liked her, liked her a lot, but I don't feel the same way about her anymore." Lee glanced up at the Uchiha to find the other man staring ahead.
"That's to be expected," Sasuke told him, "After everything that happened, no one would expect you to."
"I know, but I really don't want to tell her. There's nothing that can be said or done at this point in time. It's all in the past now." Sasuke snorted beside him. Lee looked up to find a small smirk on the Uchiha's face.
"It's never all in the past. It'll always be there inside you, somewhere." He sounded sad as he said it, and Lee didn't question him. He knew it was true. He sometimes still felt that aching pain well up in his chest. He didn't know what could make it stop, so he put it out of his thoughts when it happened.
Not wanting to continue down that particular path of conversation, Lee sped up his pace. He knew there was a training ground just a little ways away. Lee knew where every available training ground was and even knew who trained at what time. Training at all hours could do that.
"Lee?" Sasuke asked as they came to a halt in front of the grounds. The area was clear of the snow that had fallen in the night; the grounds were always needed no matter the time of the year.
"Let's spar," Lee said suddenly, stripping off his coat and sitting it down on the clean ground. Sasuke blinked at him in surprise.
"What? No! Lee, it's too cold for that," Sasuke protested. Lee ignored the younger man and continued to make his way towards the center of the field. The brunette turned to face the other man, sliding into a fighting stance with one arm behind his back and the other palm up in front of him. Sasuke stared at him from the edge of the grounds.
"What? You scared, Sasuke?" Lee taunted with a grin. Sasuke rolled his eyes but began stripping off his heavy over coat none the less. He left on the thinner jacket he had worn underneath, but took off the scarf.
"You must have lost your mind, Lee," Sasuke told his friend as he came to stand in front of the brunette. Lee only smiled before dashing forward. Sasuke didn't even blink as he blocked the kicks aimed in his direction. They pushed each other back and forth across the field, Sasuke stuck to using only taijutsu. It had become an unspoken agreement between them since Lee couldn't use chakra.
They continued like that until it happened. Sasuke was on the offensive, pushing Lee further and further back until he was at the edge of the cleared area. The brunette took a step back to avoid an oncoming punch and slipped as he stepped on not clear ground but into a small snow back. Lee blinked in surprise as his body was suddenly falling backwards. Sasuke's eyes widened as his punch stretched beyond his bounds of balance. Neither one of them tried to stop their fall; too surprised that it had happened at all. It played out in slow motion for them but within seconds they were on the snow covered ground in a heap.
Sasuke groaned from his position with his face buried in Lee's chest. Lee let out a groan of his own as he shifted. The Uchiha pushed himself up so he could stare down at the man now pressed into the ground beneath him. Sasuke froze as soon as he was looking down at the older man, mind finally catching up to what this might look like to a random passerby. Lee's eyes were squeezed shut and a grimace of pain stretched across his face. His hair was spread out around his face, a stark contrast to the white of the snow underneath him. One of Lee's arms had ended up thrown over his head and the other was stretched out beside him.
The look the other man presented made the raven's breath catch in his throat. Lust shot through his bloodstream, hot and thick. When he could breathe again, it was in small pants. His body felt hot, his clothing rough against his skin. He had dreamed about actually seeing Lee underneath him so many times, his mind apparently didn't know not to be happy about the position they were currently in. Blood was rushing in his ears and to lower parts of his body to make the pants he was wearing uncomfortably tight.
Lee groaned, shifting against the hard surface of the ground. He couldn't remember the last time he had fallen because he had slipped or tripped on something. His balance was usually impeccable, but not today it seemed. He blinked open his eyes and shifted again. I even fell on a fucking rock, he thought as what felt like a small boulder pressed into his back. He was about to ask why Sasuke was yet to move off of him when he caught the look on the Uchiha's face. Obsidian eyes were dilated and wide. His face was flushed, breathing ragged. Lee paused as he stared up at the other man, trying to figure out what was wrong with his friend, when he became quite aware of something pressing against his thigh.
Is that what I…Lee thought shifting again out of curiosity and the fact that the rock felt like it was imprinting itself into his muscles. When Sasuke's breath hitched, eyes fluttering shut, Lee knew he really need to get the younger man off him, and now. The brunette's heart rate accelerated at the sight of his friend, blood rushing lower to his own cock. Images of a dream he had had a few days ago flashed before his eyes. Images of a gasping and moaning Sasuke as the slightly larger man moved above him. Images of himself moaning as the Uchiha pleasure him in ways no one else ever had. The brunette's face flushed with color and he pushed at the Uchiha's chest.
"Sasuke! Snap out of it! Get off me!" Lee nearly begged. He was so embarrassed; he couldn't look the other man in the face to check if Sasuke was back to himself. He had to bite back a moan when Sasuke shifted on top of him.
"Oh fuck," Sasuke exclaimed when he finally came back to himself. He scrambled off the other man, color rushing to his cheeks.
"I'm so sorry, Lee," he apologized as he sat heavily down in the snow.
"It's okay," Lee told him as he pushed himself up, rubbing at the spot on his back when the rock had pressed against him. He was pretty sure he would be bruised from it.
Sasuke was looking steadfastly at the ground, not daring to look up at Lee. He couldn't believe that he had let himself do that. But the other man had just looked so good spread out like that. It made the Uchiha wonder how good he would look spread out in other ways…Sasuke shook his head as a shiver ran down his spine to clear his thoughts. He didn't need to think of that right now. What he needed to do was slow his speeding heart and calm his body down.
Unbeknownst to the suffering Uchiha, Lee was in a similar state beside him. Wide gray eyes stared at fisted hands in his lap. He was trying to cover the bulge in his pants without being too obvious about it. He glanced over at the man beside him and then quickly back to his hands. His mind was trying to come up with any logical reason for Sasuke to have an erection besides the very obvious one. He didn't want to believe it, but did all at once. Ever since that dream, he had been a bit more observant around the raven. Nothing had ever seemed out of the ordinary, but now a few things made sense.
Like the way Sasuke would watch him, the glazed look he got in his eyes at time. Lee had never had any kind of sexual relationship with anyone besides his own hand. And now the possibility of it seemed glaringly evident. But only if Sasuke wanted that. Only if Lee wanted that. Do I? Lee thought looking up to stare at the man beside him.
His eyes traveled over the angles Sasuke's face, his lips, the way his hair hung, obscuring part of his face. His shirt was tight across his chest and arms. He filled it out nicely, Lee decided. Not too bulky, but there was muscle there, Lee knew that for a fact. He let his eyes travel lower, and found himself suddenly wondering what the erection in the raven's pants would look like outside of said pants. The thought brought color rushing to his cheeks and Lee quickly looked away.
It took the pair another five minutes of sitting in silence before they finally laughed the incident off and made their way off the training grounds. After a brief discussion, they agreed to go to breakfast before parting ways. Lee was still thinking about the other man in less than appropriate ways when finally waved bye to each other.
That Evening…Hyuuga Compound
Neji stared steadily down at his hands clasped together in his lap. Nerves tingled up and down his spine. He really didn't want to be here, didn't want to do this. But people were going to find out sooner or later, and sooner was better according to Itachi. Better for his family anyway.
He glanced up at the group of people sitting across from him. Hinata, Hanabi, Hiashi, Lee, Gai, and Tenten, all of them were wearing worried expressions. Especially his uncle. Over the years since Neji learned the truth about what had happened with his father, Hiashi had taken in his brother's child, and did as much as he could for him. Or, as much as Neji would let him do. The genius was never one to be coddled and taken care of. He was so use to taking care of himself, that it was a hard habit to break. The only person he readily, but grudgingly, accepted help form was Itachi. And that was mostly due to the fact that it was fast becoming hard for him to do some stuff.
He knew his uncle would be accepting of his relationship with Itachi considering his uncle knew all about Tenten and Hinata and didn't have issues with that. Neji was just scared his uncle would freak at the idea of a man having a child. It wasn't a concept that anyone else had ever thought of until, at least not that he knew of. So, reactions to the news were anyone's guess. All he could do was tell them. It was the only option he really had. Neji took a deep breath and squeezed Itachi's hand in his. The Uchiha squeezed his hand back.
"I'm pregnant." A heavy silence hung in the room after the Hyuuga's statement. Hiashi blinked at him with wide eyes. Lee and Gai wore similar shocked expressions, except their mouths were hanging open. Hinata didn't look as shocked as he would have thought and had a small knowing smile playing across her lips. TenTen only smiled at him, pulling her girlfriend in the curve of her side. Hanabi looked thoughtful.
"How?" his uncle finally asked after a few moments of silence. The older man leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. Neji blinked, his mouth falling slightly open from shock of how well they all seemed to be taking the news so well. Two of them even looked like they had known. Itachi took up the explanation when Neji was slow on the draw.
"It's a jutsu, Hiashi-sama. It creates a chakra womb inside the man and pulls from the 'mother's' sperm to create the eggs. We estimate it can last up to three months, but we're not sure. The 'father's' sperm is um…," Itachi paused mid-sentence, blushing slightly before continuing, "Pulled from the 'mother's' rectum after intercourse." The eldest Uchiha rubbed the back of his head. The gesture made Neji smile and pat his lover's on the leg. Itachi gave him a look that said Neji was explaining this next time.
Hiashi hummed in thought and leaned back against the couch. Neji held his breath as he waited for his uncle's reaction. His heart was beating so fast out of nervousness he thought it would beat straight out of his chest. There was a sudden kick in his belly, and he smiled fondly down at his now distended belly. They really had waited too long to tell people, but he was so emotional these days…He just hadn't been able to tell anyone. When he had finally agreed to doing it, Itachi made plans to tell everyone within the span of three days.
"I guess congratulations are in order then," Hiashi finally spoke. Neji blinked in in surprise. Hiashi grinned at him. Grinned. The look was contagious. Neji felt his face stretch into a wide grin of his own. Hiashi stood. Neji nearly jumped to his feet. In a wave of emotion, the Hyuuga moved forward, a bit wobbly, and hugged his uncle. The older Hyuuga hugged him back fiercely.
"So, I'm assuming you a good ways along," Hiashi said as he pulled back to look down at his nephew. Neji wiped at the tears that sprung to his eyes.
"Yeah, about six months now," he said with a nod.
"Wow," Tenten said as she came to stand beside them, "I would have thought you would be bigger by now." Neji glared at her, reaching out to halfheartedly punch her on the arm. She tugged him into a hug as she congratulated him as well.
"You knew, didn't you?" Neji asked her as he pulled back.
"Hinata had her theories. We didn't know for sure, but we were pretty sure," she told him as she stepped back for Hinata to hug him.
"You always seem to know," he whispered in her hair as he hugged her close. Hinata nodded against his chest.
"You could have told us sooner, you know," Gai said as he placed a hand on his old student's shoulder.
"I know. I was just scared," Neji replied sheepishly.
"You don't have anything to be scared of, except how spoiled your child will be," Gai joked.
"What are you having?" Hiashi asked. Neji opened his mouth to reply and then jerked in surprise as the baby kicked hard enough to startle him. His belly was almost instantly covered in hands. The brunette teetered back on his heels and Itachi caught him by the shoulders. The Uchiha smiled down at him, and Neji returned the look.
"Wow," Lee whispered in amazement, "That feels so weird." Neji chuckled.
"Imagine how it feels to me," Neji told him, settling a hand lovingly on the top of his belly; "It's a boy."
"I bet he'll be just as handsome as his fathers," Hinata told him.
"Well, I think this calls for a celebration. Come on, let's go out for dinner," Hiashi told the group, "I'm buying."
Everyone nodded in agreement. The group gathered their coats and filed out the door. As Neji was about to step out the door, Itachi pulled him into a soft kiss.
"You did great, love," the raven whispered against his lips. The Hyuuga smiled in response, gripping his lover's shoulders to steady himself as he stood on his tiptoes.
"I couldn't have done it without you," he whispered back, "Now come on, I'm hungry." Itachi laughed out loud at that, letting Neji lace his gloved fingers with his own as they stepped out the door. One group down, two to go.
The Next Day…Around Eight in the Morning
Sasuke brought his knuckles down three times against the wood of Naruto's apartment door. He wasn't here supposed to be here to bring Naruto back to his own apartment until closer to noon, but he had a few things he wanted to discuss with his longtime friend before then. He needed to sort out some of his feelings, and, more importantly, figure out what to do about them.
The door swung open, revealing a sleepy looking Naruto. The small blonde was bare chested wearing only a pair of lounge pants.
"Aren't you cold?" Sasuke asked as he stepped into the room, stomping the snow form his boots before doing so.
"Nah," Naruto answered around a yawn. Sasuke shook his head. He had never understood certain things about the jinchuriki, his body temperature being one of them. He assumed it had something to do with Kyuubi but he could always just naturally have a higher body temperature, like Lee.
The thought of the brunette had Sasuke's heart rate rising. After what had happened the day before, Sasuke was scared Lee would be avoiding him. But the older man hadn't acted like he was mad at the Uchiha; in fact, he had acted like nothing had really happened. Sasuke wasn't sure if that hurt or if it pissed him off.
"Where's you hip attachment?" Sasuke inquired as he tugged off the heavy winter boots he wore. Naruto snorted, turning to pad to his kitchen.
"Shikaku-san came and nearly dragged him back to his house. Something about Yoshino-san wanting to see him," Naruto told him, "But he'll be back before the day's out, the bastard." Sasuke smiled at the annoyed tone of his friend's voice, but he could tell that Naruto was happier than he had ever been.
"So, what brings you to my house so fuckin' early in the morning?" The Uzumaki asked as he poured two cups of coffee. Sasuke made himself comfortable at the table. He watched as Naruto dumped an ungodly amount of sugar into one of the cups, followed by creamer. Sasuke pulled a face at the sight and Naruto only chuckled at the disgusted look his old friend gave the cup as he walked to the table.
"How do you even taste the coffee?" Sasuke asked as he wrapped his hands around his own cup, black was the only way he would drink coffee.
"The only reason I added so much is because Shikamaru likes his just as strong as you, if not stronger. I prefer not to gag when I'm drinking something," Naruto muttered.
"Didn't know you gagged at all, Naruto," Sasuke said as he smirked into his cup. He glanced up to catch the confused look on the blonde's face change into one of shock.
"Shut up," the blonde mumbled, taking another sip of his drink, "Are you going to tell me what you want or not? 'Cause I'd much rather be snuggled into my Shikamaru free bed to get some rest."
"What do you think of Lee?" Sasuke asked as he stared into the swirling blackness of the liquid in his cup. Naruto cocked his head to the side, one eyebrow rising.
"He's a nice guy. A little over the top and loud, but lots of people are like that," The blonde stated, "He's also loyal and trusting, sometimes a little too trusting if you ask me. He's a great friend. Why?"
Sasuke took a deep breath, readying himself to verbally own up to how he was feeling.
"I-I think I like him," he said in a small rush. It being Naruto he was telling it to didn't make it any easier.
"You think you like him?" Naruto repeated. Sasuke nodded his head in conformation.
"Well, that's unexpected," the blonde said as he leaned back in his chair, "Who would have thought that Uchiha Sasuke would have the hots for Rock Lee?" Sasuke glared at his friend.
"Have you told him?" the jinchuriki inquired.
"What do you think?" Sasuke asked sarcastically, "Besides, what if he doesn't like me back?" Naruto nearly choked on his mouthful of coffee.
"Since when are you insecure on the dating front?" Naruto sputtered. It only earned him another glare.
"Okay, okay. I'll stop teasing you," Naruto held up his hands in mock surrender, "So, tell him. You didn't seem to have issues when it came to me."
"That was because you were blatantly obvious about it. You were the same way with Shikamaru, that's how he figured it out so fast," Sasuke told him. Naruto blushed and stared down at the half empty cup in front of him.
"You can't tell me Lee wouldn't be the same way about it if he liked you. In fact, I think he might be worse," Naruto told him. Sasuke tilted his head to the side as he thought about it and then nodded in agreement.
"Sasuke, just tell him," Naruto sighed, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table, "Just take the chance." Sasuke sighed and rested his head on the table. It was all so very confusing. At least he had known Naruto liked him when they had gotten together. But with Lee…he had no idea. He was going to have to start watching the other chuunin very closely, looking for any sign that the older man may feel the same way. He didn't care for taking chances like he had done when he was a child. Growing up could do that to a person. Not like it had done anything to stop Lee, or Kiba for that matter, form being rash.
Sasuke lifted his head and rested his chin in the palm of one hand. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Naruto grimaced at the look.
"You know, that is a very creepy look for you, Sasuke," Naruto told his friend. Sasuke rolled his eyes, before standing.
"Well, thank you for the coffee and lack of advice," the raven said, earning a smack on the back of the head form Naruto.
"Really, thank you," Sasuke said in a somber voice. Naruto nodded as he dumped the coffee that remained in the cups down the sink drain.
"You know you can come talk to me anytime," the Uzumaki told him. Sasuke nodded, heading towards the door.
"Don't forget to be at my apartment in about three and a half hours," he told the blonde, who groaned in response.
"Don't remind me," Naruto groused, "Today's going to be long as hell."
Sasuke waved bye to his friend and headed down the stairs. Now he had three hours to waste and nothing to do. When he reached the bottom step, he looked in both directions before making up his mind. Might as well go see Lee.
The Same Day…Noon
Neji stared at the ceiling of Itachi's apartment, listening to the conversation in the kitchen five feet away. He had grown tired of sitting at the table, his back hurt too much to sit in a kitchen chair. So, he had excused himself and went to lie down on the sofa. No one had said much about it, except for Itachi, who had begun fretting over him like a mother hen.
Jiraiya hadn't seemed very surprised at the news of Neji's pregnancy. The Hyuuga was willing to bet Tsunade had already told him. The thought pissed him off slightly, considering he had asked her not to tell anyone. But everyone knew there were no secrets between the two sannin, so it wouldn't surprise him if she had told him. Not that it really mattered any more. Everyone was going to know within the next two days. Word spread fast through the village, which was why they were all gathered in the Uchiha brother's apartment.
Naruto, Sasuke, Jiraiya, and Itachi were all gathered around the small table in the dining room slash kitchen area. Scrolls were spread out everywhere, on the table, the floor, even in people's laps. Some were full of writing in bold ink strokes and others were so faded you could barely read them. His uncle had managed to procure some of the Hyuuga family scrolls, mostly the ones about the seal plastered across Neji's forehead.
Jiraiya tapped a finger against his chin as he stared down at the scroll laid out in front of him. It was crammed full of delicate writing around a large seal. The seal itself was broken down into many small ones, forming one large interconnecting web.
"This is the one," Jiraiya said as his eyes moved over the paper. He pointed a certain section.
"We can't completely remove the seal, but we can make it harmless to the person, but the process will be very long and carries a high danger level for the person." Neji blinked at the statement. High danger level? That wasn't good. With one hand on his stomach, the Hyuuga pushed to his feet and made his way over to the table. He wanted to be there for the actual discussion.
"The question is, are you willing and able to do it?" Itachi asked as he pulled Neji closer to him. Jiraiya looked thoughtful for a moment as he contemplated the situation. It would be a very dangerous procedure and carried many risks, especially so since Neji was with child. He didn't want to give them a definite answer yet.
"Let me discuss this with Tsunade first. But I think we can do it," he told them as he rolled up the scroll, "I'll drop by when I know what's going on with it. Just don't get your hopes too high. She may say it's too risky." Neji's face fell at that, one of his greatest fears was the mark on his head. He hated it. Always had, and he was never letting his family get ahold of his children to basically brand them as lower like they had done to him. Itachi squeezed his side in reassurance as if he felt Neji's nervousness rise. The baby certainly did. He shoved hard enough that a small bump could be seen under the thin cotton of Neji's shirt.
"Now that looked weird," Naruto observed as he stared at Neji's belly. The jinchuriki had acted more surprised than his sensei but not as much as the Hyuuga would have expected out of the blonde. Neji figured most people would think he was just getting fat, but Naruto had said something about smelling it in passing. That was kind of creepy, but Neji just nodded his head and went with it. As long as no one seriously freaked out on him, he was good to go, for the most part. Itachi rubbed his hand over the Hyuuga's belly and the baby kicked again, as if he knew who it was touching his 'mother.' It made both Neji and Itachi smile.
"Okay," Jiraiya said as he rolled up the last of the scrolls and stuffed it in his pack, "I'm heading out, and congratulations." He was gone in a small puff of smoke.
"Now that was uncalled for," Sasuke said as he glared at the now dissipating smoke. Naruto chuckled and leaned his chair back on the back two legs.
"Now that that's done, can we go eat now?" Naruto inquired. Sasuke rolled his eyes, but Neji's stomach growled in agreement. The brunette smiled sheepishly, and Itachi laughed out loud.
"All right let's go, we've got three hungry people to feed," Sasuke groused as he pushed back his chair and stood, Naruto and Itachi were quick to follow.
The Same Day…Evening
Neji once again found himself faced with a group of people. People he knew and even loved. But that didn't stop him from being nervous all over again. He didn't know what was wrong with him recently, but his emotions seemed to flip-flop all over the place. He knew it was due to the pregnancy, but that didn't change the fact that he disliked these emotional olympics.
The big difference between his own family and Itachi's was the youngest of the group was a lot younger than Hanabi was. The twins were currently snuggled up to his sides like two little hot water bottles. They had settled there as soon as they had come into the living room after dinner. Neji was grateful for their body heat, his back and sides hurt like hell. Both Isamu and Airi were resting their heads on pillows they had stuffed beside him. They had ended up with their hands clasped over his stomach. It was like they knew.
"You're pregnant aren't?" Mikoto said so suddenly Neji jumped. Itachi and Neji stared at the woman with wide eyes.
"How did you know?" Sasuke asked as he looked form his mother to the group on the couch across from the loveseat his mother and him were seated upon. She smiled warmly.
"A woman always knows, and I've been through three of them," she said.
"What's a pregnant?" Airi asked looking to her mother with curious eyes.
"It's when two people get together to create another person," Mikoto told them. Isamu looked over Neji at his sister.
"It's where babies come from," he told her. That seemed to make her understand and she leaned back against the couch.
"Neji-san is pregnant?" the small girl inquired, rubbing a hand over Neji's belly. Mikoto nodded and both children stared at Neji with something akin to awe in their eyes.
"Is it Onii-san's?" Isamu asked Neji. The Hyuuga nodded, still amazed that this whole situation as going so well.
"So, am I getting a grandson or a granddaughter?" Mikoto asked.
"A grandson," Itachi spoke up, recovering faster than his lover. Mikoto beamed.
"A grandson," she said wishfully, "Another child I get to spoil rotten." Neji chuckled and Itachi blushed.
"So, we're going to have to plan you a baby shower," the Uchiha matriarch said excitedly. This time it was Neji's turn to blush.
"You don't have to do that," Neji told her. She waved him off.
"I want to, love," she told him, "Besides, it's where you get most of your stuff, and for free at that." Sasuke burst out laugh while Itachi rubbed at his eyes with one hand. Neji giggled, and them jumped when the baby kicked. He was moving more and more recently. It seemed to be a good thing, though. It let him know the baby was fine, and still alive and kicking, literally.
Neji watched as Mikoto got up to bustle around the room looking for a pen and paper. Itachi followed after her, trying to talk her out of the idea, but she would hear none of it.
"Are we getting a little brother or sister?" Airi asked, pushing up onto her knees.
"You are getting a nephew," Neji told her with a bright smile.
"That's like a brother, right?" Isamu asked form the other side and Neji nodded. Both of their faces lit up. As Neji watched the Uchiha family, he decided he would like to get use to this. Having people who cared about you and were willing to do anything for you. People who were happy for you no matter what.
The Next Day
Naruto grumbled to himself as he trekked up the two sets of stairs to his apartment. He had really been looking forward to a Saturday of sleeping in cuddled in bed with Shikamaru, when he had heard a bird at his window. He had considered ignoring the creature and going back to sleep, but Tsunade would kill him if he ignored her. So he had pushed himself up and out of a warm comfortable bed to wade through the snow to reach the offices.
Now he was finally back to his warm place of residence. He usually didn't feel the cold much, but he was feeling it more than usual today. He shivered as he pulled his key from his pocket and opened the door. He hated being cold. Winter had a way of working its way into a person's body and freezing them from the inside out.
He closed the door behind him with a sigh of relief as warmth flooded his body. He leaned back against the door, toeing off the boots he wore. He let the warm air fill his body, and he felt his fingers and toes slowly unfreeze themselves. He held a warm hand over his nose, trying to bring feeling back into that as well. He had been in such a hurry this morning; he hadn't truly dressed for the early morning winter weather. A tee shirt with only a jacket and scarf, no gloves and only a thin pair of pants. Tsunade had inquired to his attire and he had grumpily commented about early morning summons. She had given him a hard look before she proceeded to brief him on his first mission after the ambush.
The blonde was excited about the mission, even though it was only to carry a message to a nearby village, it was the first work he had had in months, He could only spend so much time in the village before he had to get out and do something. He wasn't capable of lazing around the house like Shikamaru, who was currently spread out on his couch covered in a thin blanket.
Naruto smiled softly at the sight. He was growing accustom to having the shadow-nin around. The brunette got annoying form time to time, but that happened when two people spent long amounts of time with each other. Naruto had come close to kicking the man out on many occasions, but the Nara always managed to convince him otherwise.
Naruto shrugged out of his jacket and hung it on the coat rack next to the door, followed by his scarf. Making his way towards the kitchen, the blonde decided the breakfast he had missed was in order.
He was just placing a plate of bacon and pancakes on the table when he heard a soft groan form the living room. The sleeping beast has stirred, the jinchuriki thought as he peered around the island that separated his kitchen form the living room. Shikamaru had indeed stirred. The brunette was sitting up and rubbing at his eyes with one hand. His ponytail hung half down due to sleep. With a large yawn, accompanied by a stretch, Shikamaru pushed himself up off the couch.
Naruto watched as the half-awake man padded into the kitchen. Shikamaru yawned again as he made his way over to where the blonde was seated. Naruto smiled up at his lover, leaning up for a kiss. The Nara complied and peaked him softly on the lips.
"Good morning," Naruto whispered against Shikamaru lips. The brunette smiled sleepily and kissed him again.
"Morin'," he slurred. Naruto chuckled. The brunette always seemed to have a hard time waking up in the morning without coffee or sex. And since Naruto was on strike for the time being, coffee was the only option the shadow-nin had.
It took two cups of strong, black coffee before the Nara was coherent enough to fix a plate of food. By that time Naruto had finished his breakfast and was now looking over the scroll he had received from Tsunade. There really much to the mission, which didn't really surprise the blonde much. He wasn't expecting to be thrown back into high ranking mission after what had happened. He would have liked that, but his Hokage wasn't going to chance it, it seemed.
Naruto sighed, rolling the scroll back up and sitting it to the side. He would be heading out two days from now, and would only be gone for a day or so. No long term missions for him yet. He would just have to deal. Besides, he needed the income. Rent was due in a few days and he was running low on his savings. Shikamaru had offered to help many times, but the blonde had rejected the offer each time. He wasn't going to take a hand out, even if that really wasn't what it was.
Shikamaru decided he needed another cup of coffee as he stared blurrily at his plate. Mornings were never going to be his thing. He got up to refill his cup, rubbing his eyes with one hand as he did so. Sleeping on the couch hadn't been the greatest of ideas, since his whole body now felt stiff, but he disliked sleeping in Naruto's bed without said bed's owner. It always felt too big and very much empty. The feeling didn't sit well with him, considering he had almost lost the blonde. Shikamaru didn't know how long it was going to take for him to get over that. He doubted he ever would.
Shikamaru flopped back down in his chair, sipping at his coffee as he finished off what was left of his pancakes and bacon. Naruto sat opposite him, watching him with a small smile on his face and laughter in his cerulean eyes. Shikamaru stared back for a moment before his eyes fell on the scroll sitting on the edge of the table.
"What's that?" he asked, gesturing with one hand. Naruto blinked, not understanding until the Nara gestured again.
"Oh, it a mission summery I received this morning." The statement washed away what was left of the sleep in Shikamaru's brain.
"Go back and turn it down," the Nara stated, tone leaving no room for argument. Or, at least it tried. Naruto being who he was, the blonde ignored the tone and went straight to the point.
"Excuse me?" Naruto blinked at his boyfriend in surprise. This was the last thing he had expected out of Shikamaru. He thought the other man would be glad he was back on duty and not mopping around the house all day, or mopping around the village. That, apparently, wasn't the case.
"Turn it down. You're not going," the Nara's voice hardened and he gave the blonde a hard look. There was no way he was risking the other man, especially after he had just gotten him back to full health a little over a month ago. He didn't want to lose him, didn't want to ever go through sitting beside a hospital bed again. The risks the jinchuriki took were way great and he didn't think before acting. He just went in swinging. It was a quality the Nara had come to admire and hate in Naruto. He admired the man's determination and tenacity, but he hated how hurt Naruto generally came back from missions. Not that he really knew about that, but he had heard.
"Could you repeat that? 'Cause I think I heard you wrong," Naruto said, voice going low as he pushed back form the table and came to his feet, "Did you just order me to go turn down my mission?"
"Yes." Naruto gaped at the Nara. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had to be dreaming. But he knew he was awake.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Naruto growled.
"I think I am your boyfriend who has already went through too much due to you going on a mission," was Shikamaru's calm statement. Naruto hands came down hard on the table, margining to startle the Nara.
"You are not my lord and master, Shikamaru," the blonde said hotly, "You don't get to order me around and tell me what I can and cannot do. This is a relationship and it doesn't work like that."
"What happens if you get ambushed again?" Shikamaru asked, his own anger rising.
"I'll fight."
"Yeah, like you did last time," Shikamaru said before he could stop himself. He regretted it as soon as it left his mouth, but he didn't take it back. Naruto glared death at him.
"Fuck you. I am a shinobi, just like you. Just because I'm not some fucking genius doesn't mean you are any more skilled than I am. I can take care of myself, have for years before you walked into my life, Shikamaru." The blonde's tone was icy; his back straight as he glared down his boyfriend.
"None of those so called skills have helped you stay out of the hospital." Shikamaru knew he was entering dangerous territory. Naruto was just as prideful as any other man in the village, and the easiest way to piss any male off was to take a stab at their pride.
Naruto clinched his jaw, not saying anything. He really, really didn't want to argue with Shikamaru, not over this. He wasn't going to be controlled. People had been trying to do that to him all of his life, he wasn't about to make an exception to the rule now. He valued his freedom just as much as he valued his life. He wasn't going to have that freedom taken away. Anger welled up inside him and he knew if he didn't leave now something bad was going to happen, like him putting Shikamaru in the hospital.
Naruto picked up the scroll, shoving it in his pocket. Shikamaru watched him walk across the apartment, brown eyes hard and full his own anger.
"Where are you going?" Shikamaru barked as Naruto slid on his boots and jerkily pulled on his jacket.
"Out," the blonde said curtly, "I want you gone by the time I get back." Shikamaru blinked in surprise. That was unexpected. He had expected a fight, a shouting match, not Naruto ending the argument by leaving and kicking him out. He hadn't thought of every possibility, it seemed. Naruto would be forever shocking him.
"Are you kicking me out?" Shikamaru questioned even though he already knew the answer. Naruto glared at him from across the room.
"Yes, and don't come back until you remove the sick form you ass and regain your senses," the blonde hissed. Then he was gone, the door slamming harshly behind him. Shikamaru stood in silence, ears ringing with words and the echo of the door. He stared down at his clinched fists, trying to make since of what just happened when his mind was so full of anger and hurt. He wished he could make the blonde understand. He wanted to keep him safe, but he knew that Naruto could protect himself. Chouji would have told him to go and get a chick if he wanted someone he could protect.
The Nara sighed. After all this time, he still didn't know everything about the blonde jinchuriki. And he still hadn't told him…
The Same Day…Around five
Kiba slammed yet another book shut. The receptionist glared at him form the counter. The dog-nin ignored her. He had been coming here almost daily, either during lunch or after training, and he was still drawing up blanks. He kept coming up with loose ends. Leads that went nowhere.
He was fairly sure what was inside of him was some kind of demonic force, something that felt just as powerful as any tailed beast. He knew more about demons and legends now than he ever thought he would. His head felt like it was going to explode. And he was still getting nowhere.
"Fuck," the Inuzuka cursed under his breath. A glance at the clock told him it was time for him to go home. His mother was away on a mission. Hana and he were the only ones in the house tonight, except for their ninken. He had been given the task of bringing home food from a convenience store. Hana could cook, but that was only when their mother was home. Hana preferred to just eat take out or something along those lines when she could. Sometimes Kiba thought she was just as lazy as Shikamaru.
Grumbling to himself about how annoying all of this was getting, Kiba stacked the books he had finished reading, and picked up the three he hadn't gotten to, to check out. Never in his life would he have thought he would be checking out books, but here he was, doing just that.
The woman behind the counter looked less than pleased about his presence and checked him out in record time. He gave her a smile and picked up the books. He could hear he muttering as he left, but he ignored her once again. He was getting good at that.
He dropped by the convenience store down the street from his house. Once he was home, he dropped the books down on the kitchen table, along with the bag form the store. Hana wondered in while he flipped through the pages of a book and munched on his sandwich. Hana pulled what she wanted form the bag and sat down beside him.
She watched him read for a couple of minutes before grabbing a book herself. They had worked out a system over the weeks. The two of them would sit at the table and read through the books he brought home that day and then compare notes. For all his faults, Kiba was a pretty fast reader, and could retain information easily. Most people wouldn't believe it, but it was the truth none the less.
"Haven't you already read all of the books containing information on demons by now?" Hana asked through a mouthful of onigiri. Kiba glanced up at her through the fringe of his bangs.
"I have one more shelf," he told her, looking back down at the page he was currently on. This particular page contained information about a type of demon that stuck to families and tended to be passed down through the generations. Sometimes it would skip many generations and other time is moved on as soon as a new baby was born. When the demon was dormant inside someone, it took a rush of extreme emotion to awaken it. The emotions that were most known to trigger a reaction seemed to revolve around war. Anger, hate, sorrow, pain. The picture on the side of the page contained a man standing on the hill of a bloody battlefield. The man was surrounded by bodies, and a large canine humanoid rose above him, as if it was just an aura surrounding the man.
Kiba stared at the page, gears turning in his brain. This seemed so familiar. Like something he had heard as a kid, some sort of fable. He couldn't quite place the story, or even who he had heard it from. But he knew it.
"Hey, Hana, do you remember hearing something like this when we were kids?" he inquired as he pushed the book towards her. Once she finished reading the page, she stared at the center of the table. Tapping a finger against her chin, she hummed to herself. Then her eyes widened, and she gasped in surprise.
"Yeah, our grandmother told us, I think," she said as she leaned back in her chair, "It was a long time ago, though. I don't really remember. We'll have to ask mom when she gets back." Kiba could only nod. He book marked the page when she pushed it back over towards him.
They sat in comfortable silence for some time before Hana spoke up.
"What's up with you lately?" she asked him, resting her head in her hand and he elbow in the table, "You seem so distance these days. And I know it's not because of what happened." She cut him off when he opened his mouth to refute her statement. Kiba hung his head. Yes, something else was bothering him, but he didn't want to tell his sister about that. About how he craved a touch he hadn't felt in months, how he heard echoes of a voice that wasn't there. He sometimes even caught whiffs of the Kazekage's smell.
"Who is he?" Hana asked when he didn't answer. Kiba blinked up at her in surprise.
"How did you know?"
"Sisters always know, and I can read you like a book." She patted the book on the table beside her.
"Promise you won't tell anyone, especially Kaa-san?" he asked, looking up at her with hard eyes. She smiled back at him and held up her hands.
"It's Gaara," he said in a low but clear voice. Hana blinked and her mouth dropped open.
"The Kazekage?" She nearly gasped, "Man, you sure do aim high." Kiba glared at her. She only smirked back.
"Shut up," he groused, "It's not like that."
"Mm, I'm sure it's not." She laughed when he glared at her again, "How do you feel about him?" Kiba stared into the cup of tea sitting in front of him as a way to distract himself. How did he feel about Gaara? He knew he felt more than friendship for the red head, but did that mean he was in love with him? Or in like? He knew the man made him feel safe, and that was one of the things that drew the Inuzuka to Gaara. The Kazekage also had been there for one of the darkest times in the Konoha nin's life. And that made Kiba feel like they had a connection that ran rather deep.
"I don't know," he finally admitted, "I know I like him as a friend, but it's more than that."
"Kiba's got a crush," Hana sing-songed. Kiba wished he had something to throw at her. Instead he settled for another bark of "Shut up!" She picked on him for the rest of the night, but in a sisterly manner. The way Kiba blushed was just too much for her to resist.
Maybe I do like him, Kiba thought as he snuggled down into the covers on his futon. Considering how hot his face was right now from all of his sister's teasing, it certainly was a possibility.
Four Days Later...Five in the Afternoon
Naruto stood with his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the table in Sasuke's apartment. He was currently having a staring contest with his lover and the blonde was not going to lose. Like anyone else in an argument, he thought he was right. The same went for Shikamaru and neither one of them were willing to back down.
Sasuke sighed miserably, already sick of having the two men in his house. It felt like they had been at this for hours, but in reality the other two shinobi had only been here for about thirty minutes. The Uchiha was already ready to strangle them.
He had been rather shocked when Naruto had shown up and barged in when he opened the door with a seriously pissed off Shikamaru in tow. This was the last thing he wanted to deal with, being a referee between two of his friends. He knew why the blonde did it, though. Sasuke had a knack for being able to distance himself from a situation and look at both sides. He knew neither man was going to budge, and if one of them did, it would be Shikamaru.
Sasuke himself had had this very argument with the blonde during their travels, and it had resulted to them not talking to each other for nearly five months. It had also royal pissed Jiraiya off. In the end, Sasuke had apologized and admitted that he was wrong on some points but not all. He had made it up to the blonde and they had moved on. But their relationship had been simple and easy for them, considering how long they had been friends.
This was not simple nor was it easy for the two men in front of him. He understood where Shikamaru was coming form, and after everything that happened, it wasn't all that surprising to the raven that he was acting this way now. It had scared them all quite a bit, the Nara more than anyone else. But what the brunette needed to understand was that the more he tried to control any aspect of the jinchuriki's life, the more he was going to get pushed away.
"Could you both please calm down and discuss this like the adults you are?" Sasuke asked as he rubbed at his forehead. He was getting a head ache, and if they woke Neji up…
Neither man moved. Sasuke sighed and hung his head.
"You are both so fucking stubborn," Sasuke muttered to himself, "Look, Naruto, you have to understand that Shikamaru's not trying to control you. He just fears for your safety." He said in a louder voice. Shikamaru gave Sasuke a look, but the raven ignored it.
"But he is trying to control me! I don't care if it's for my safety, I can take care of myself and he knows it!" Naruto nearly shouted. Sasuke winced and glared at his friend.
"You can take care of yourself? Is that what was happening when you were laid up in a hospital bed for almost two months?" Shikamaru shot back, his own voice rising to match Naruto's. Naruto growled, fists clenching and unclenching.
"That was an accident. They happen. It comes with the job description," Naruto snarled, "And I'm not going to quite being a shinobi. It's my life, what I live for! How could you want to take that away from me?" This time it was a yell. Sasuke winced at the tone of the words and the implications that went with them. Shikamaru's mouth was set in a firm line, eyes hard. This is going to be a long night, Sasuke thought.
"I'm not trying to take that form you! You can still be a shinobi in the village! Get a desk job! I just don't want you going on missions," the brunette growled right back. Naruto balked at the suggestion.
"There is no way I'm getting a desk job! I can't sit still for longer than five minutes at a time! How the hell do you expect me to have a desk job?" He's got a point, Sasuke thought. Naruto was always a bundle of energy, and sitting behind a desk was not the best way for him to make use of his skills.
"Then how do you expect to be Hokage?" The Nara shouted right back. Sasuke was on his feet instantly. That was one line the brunette's survival instincts should have told him not to cross. The blonde's eyes grew round and his mouth fell open in surprise. Sasuke saw the anger well up in his eyes and was preparing himself to pull the two apart to save his apartment if he needed to when a door slammed open down the hall.
A very annoyed and pregnant Neji stomped his way down the hallway. He stopped when he reached the living room and tittered to the side when his balance failed him. He used the wall next to him for support and glared at the three men in the room.
"What the hell is wrong with you people?" He snarled, "Can't a person sleep around here?" They all had the decency to look sheepish.
"Now, I would like to go back to bed. And I will personally decapitate the next person who yells." Everyone nodded. The Hyuuga gave each one of them a pointed look and turned to go back to the bed room. To both Sasuke and Shikamaru's surprise, Naruto followed the older man. Shikamaru reached out to grab his arm as the blonde passed him but Naruto moved out of his reach and gave him a watery glare. The Nara let his hand fall and watched the blonde until he disappeared into the Hyuuga's bedroom.
Sasuke sank back into the couch. He looked over at Shikamaru, who was still looking down the hall way.
"You might as well sit. Neither one of them will be coming back any time soon," Sasuke informed him. Shikamaru glanced over at the raven and then back at the hall before padding over on socked feet to sit down beside the Uchiha. They sat in silence for some time, minutes passed, and then an hour.
"Am I wrong?" The Nara finally broke the silence, his voice low. Sasuke looked over at him. He would have never thought he would see the shadow-nin looking so dejected.
"No, you're not wrong," Sasuke told him, "But you're not right either." Shikamaru looked up at him at that.
"You can't tell him not to go on missions. Being a shinobi is who he is; you can't change that about him. All you can do is tell him to be safe and to bring himself home in one piece."
"But what if he doesn't come back in one piece, or worse, not at all?" Sasuke could hear the fear in the other nin's voice.
"That's a risk all of us take every day when we get up. Yes, the risk is higher for a shinobi, but the same thing goes for you. Naruto would feel the same way if you left on a mission and never returned. Did you think of that?" Sasuke leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He stared at the brunette beside him, waiting for an answer.
"Yes," Shikamaru whispered, "But that doesn't help me deal with the fare of losing him."
"It won't," Sasuke said bluntly, "Nothing does, but restricting what he does won't help either. You'll just push him away. He won't stand for someone to control him in any way." A thought occurred to the Uchiha and his chuckled. Shikamaru glared at him.
"What is suddenly funny about this conversation?" The Nara inquired.
"Nothing, really. I was just thinking of when Naruto doesn't mind being controlled." Shikamaru gave the man a dull look. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders.
"You of all people know it's true," Sasuke told him, "But seriously, he won't ever relinquish his freedom without a fight. It's not in him. He's been fighting his whole life, to survive and also not be used as an ultimate weapon. There are also those who would like to chain and cage him because of what is inside him." Shikamaru nodded. He knew that. He had watched the blonde 'monster' as a child and always thought the he was just a kid, just like himself. There was no way such a small person could have done all of the things people said he had. And he hadn't, at least the person hadn't. He had also seen the Kyuubi in action, knew how destructive it could get.
"If you love him, truly love him, you'll stand down," Sasuke told him, "Otherwise, he'll leave."
"I know. How did you deal with the fear?" Sasuke looked over at him, one eyebrow raised.
"I waited for him, and then loved him when he came home," Sasuke answered honestly. Even during their travels, there had been times when Jiraiya would take them off individually for things, sometimes days at a time. He could remember waiting up until morning came before falling asleep at times.
"Did it work?" Sasuke shook his head.
"Not really, but it helped." Shikamaru nodded and they sat in silence until the door to the apartment door opened. Itachi looked between the two of them, eyebrows raised.
"What's going on?" he asked as he kicked off his shoes and sat down beside Sasuke.
"Naruto decided I should be referee for his argument with Shikamaru," Sasuke answered with his head leaned back against the back of the couch and his eyes closed.
"Then where's Naruto?" Itachi asked as he looked around the empty room.
"In the bedroom with Neji," Shikamaru answered, "I think he was crying, too."
"And you didn't go in there with him?" Itachi sounded baffled.
"He was already pissed at me; I figured I should give him some time to cool off." It was a logical explanation and Itachi couldn't berate the man for that. The eldest Uchiha also knew it wasn't a good idea to go barging in the room with the two men. He would probably end up taking a pillow to the face.
There was a knock at the door, and Sasuke pushed himself up to go and answer it. When he opened the door, he was greeted with the sight of a slightly blushing and fidgeting Lee. The older man looked down at his feet as soon as the door opened.
"Lee? What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked in surprise. He hadn't expected to see the taijutsu master for another few days. It had seemed like Lee was avoiding him a bit recently and Sasuke had decided to give him some space. Lee on his doorstep was a surprise.
"You haven't been coming over recently, and I figured I would come see you," Lee said in a small rush. Sasuke smiled. The older man really had no idea how cute he really was.
"Come on in then," Sasuke told him and Lee's cheeks were suddenly a light pink color. Lee hurried into the apartment, blushing so hard Sasuke thought his hair was going to catch on fire. The older man was clad in a pair of jeans that hugged his body in all the right places and it really wasn't Sasuke fault that he was staring at Lee's ass as the older man bent over to untie his boots.
Itachi caught his gaze when he looked up and gave him a knowing smile. Sasuke blushed, but couldn't help but get one more look at the brunette's round bottom. Lee was as oblivious as always, and that really didn't help matters. What was it that made a person look so good when they didn't realize how good they really looked? Sasuke really didn't understand it, but if he didn't get his libido under control, he was going to have an embarrassing problem.
Sasuke let Lee sit on the couch and opted to sit on the loveseat near Shikamaru. As soon as he was settled as comfortably as he could get, Neji and Naruto returned from their retreat into the bedroom. Sasuke had to do a double take when he saw them and was instantly on his feet.
"Well, I'm assuming that's not good," Lee said as he stared wide eyed at the small blonde.
"No, it's not," Sasuke said.
"What the hell happened?" Shikamaru asked, tone a cross between worry and amazement.
"I have no idea," Sasuke whispered back, "That has most definitely never happened before."
Neji had his arms around Naruto and was snuggling in the shorter man's hair, which now sported two dropping fox ears. To go with the ears, two fluffy tails were wrapped around the Hyuuga's waist and covering his distended belly. Naruto also had his arms wrapped around Neji, his face was buried in the older man's shoulder. Neji's eyes were red rimmed and his cheeks were still wet from tears.
"I figured this wasn't exactly a good thing," Neji told them with a small sniffle, "even if they do feel nice." Sasuke would have laughed at that if he wasn't so worried about what the hell had happened with the blonde.
"Naruto," Shikamaru called softly, "Come here." The blonde didn't look up from his hiding spot and shook his head.
"Naruto, would you please come here," the Nara asked gently. The please seemed to break through to the jinchuriki. Slowly, the two tails unwrapped themselves from the Hyuuga. Neji looked rather sad about that, but said nothing. Naruto dropped his arms from around Neji and the brunette let his own arms fall as well. The blonde slowly raised his head. Cerulean eyes glistened with tears and were red rimmed. His lightly tanned face was blotched from crying and tear trails could be seen on his cheeks.
Naruto made his way slowly over to where Shikamaru stood, but he refused to look up at his boyfriend. His light orange ears were flat against his head, dropping in sadness. He had wrapped both of his tails around himself, and his hands were buried in their fluff.
"I need to look at his seal," Sasuke told the Nara. Shikamaru nodded his head. Taking a deep breath, the brunette readied himself to say everything he hadn't up until now. Everything that would make this better and take away the pain he had seen in the blonde's eyes hours ago when he had left the room.
"I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to try and tell you not to go on that mission and to get angry when you did anyways. I just wish you would be more careful, less rash and think before you leap. Because I-." The words caught in his throat and Shikamaru had to take another deep breath before he continued, "Because I love you, Naruto."
Naruto's head jerked up and he stared at the brunette with wide eyes. His ears stood at attention, instantly alert.
"What did you say?" He whispered the words, not daring to hope that he had heard what he had thought he had.
"I love you, every part of you." And Shikamaru meant it more than he had meant anything else he had ever said in his life. The blonde's eyes welled up with tears and then he flung himself at the Nara. Shikamaru caught him and held him tightly, burying his face in the unruly stock of blonde hair. The new ear additions twitched against his cheeks where they touched, but he didn't care. The blonde hugged him back fiercely, crying into his lover's chest.
After a few minutes, the jinchuriki pulled back and looked up at Shikamaru.
"I love you, too," he told him, a small smile playing across his lips. Shikamaru smiled back, cupping one tear stained cheek in the palm of his hand. He wiped away a tear with his thump. Unable to resist, he leaned down and pressed his lips against the blonde's. Naruto moaned against him and pushed up onto his tiptoes, giving the shadow-nin better access to his mouth.
"I still need to look at the seal," Sasuke interrupted. The Nara pulled back, pressing a kiss against the blonde's forehead. Naruto gave one more sniffle as he turned to face his friend. He pulled his shirt up to his chin, revealing his seal. Sasuke moved forward, hand reaching out, but stopping before he could touch it.
"It's not supposed to show up in the first place," Sasuke murmured, "And now it glowing." The black writing stood out boldly on the Uzumaki's tanned skin. The entire area around the seal was glowing faintly. Sasuke really had no idea what the hell was going on. He had never seen anything like that.
"Does anything hurt?" Naruto shook his head.
"Does the Kyuubi seem more active?" Naruto thought about it before answering.
"Not really, but since the attack he hasn't been as active as he was. But everything feels normal right now," the blonde answered.
"Odd," Sasuke mused, standing back up. Naruto let his shirt fall back down.
"We need to tell Jiraiya about this, but he won't be back for a few days," Sasuke sighed as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Besides this new change," Itachi said as he gestured to the appendages the blonde was sporting, "Is everything else good?"
Everyone looked to Naruto for the answer, when the blonde nodded his head, Itachi nodded as well.
"Good, 'cause I'm going to cuddle." Sasuke rolled his eyes as his brother and Neji disappeared from the room. Lee looked slightly baffled by the whole incident. He was staring at Naruto as if he had the urge to pet the blonde's tails. Sasuke couldn't blame him. They looked really soft.
"What do we do now? It's not like we can just walk home with him looking like this," Shikamaru asked as he stared at the twitching tails in front of him. Sasuke watched as the Nara followed them with his eyes, like a cat. He expected someone to grab the blonde and start molesting him at any second, and the Uchiha himself wasn't excluded from that.
"You can sleep here, take the couch," Sasuke told them, unwilling to give up his own futon. He really didn't want them to fuck where he would have to sleep every night. He honestly didn't want them to do that on his couch either. But the couch had already been broken in by his brother, so there really was no going back form that. Would probably be broken in by Sasuke himself if he ever got the chance. He looked up at Lee and their eyes met. The brunette looked away quickly, a blush rising on his face. Well, maybe I do have a chance, Sasuke thought with a small smile.
"Come on, Lee. We'll make this a sleep over," Sasuke told his friend as he headed for the door, "Let's go get take out. Neji's going be hungry soon anyways." The blush Lee sported darkened but he nodded his head.
Shikamaru and Naruto were already laid out on the couch as the two men left the apartment. Naruto was snuggled on top of the brunette, and the Nara had finally given into the impulse to pet the jinchuriki. The blonde seemed to like it, considering he was purring. Sasuke would have to remind himself to knock when he came back. He really didn't want to walk in on those two having sex.
"Time to be honest, this time I'm bleeding
Please don't dwell on it, cause I didn't mean it."
- "I'd Come For You" Nickelback
Author's Note: Yes, I know the whole ears and tail thing is really, really clichéd, but I thought it was cute. You won't be seeing it often, so no worries. Watching the hits counter go up is like getting a daily cupcake, but getting a review is like getting an entire cake of your favorite type all to yourself! So, please review! And thank you for reading!
Birthdays that have passed:
I'm pretty sure I didn't do this last time, so I'm doing it now.
Lee - 20 to 21 on November 27
Sai – 20 to 21 on November 25
Hinata – 18-19 on December 27
Gaara – 19 to 20 on January 19
Shino – 19 to 20 on January 23