Author Note: Wellll hello! It's been a little while :( I started uni again after 2 years and it's been wild! I'm so so excited for this chapter. Everyone was missing Aiko and this chapter has her allll over it.

WARNING: There is a lot of fluff with a sprinkle of angst about Naruto's life. There is a mention of malnutrition.

Hope you like this one!

xx

Naruto's brilliant plan was halted as soon as they woke up.

He'd been in utter bliss waking up in Sasuke's embrace. The man had wrapped his arm tightly around Naruto's chest, holding him against himself like he was afraid of ever letting go. There wasn't any sunlight peeking in, as he had heavy dark curtains covering his windows, so he was curious as to why he'd been woken up suddenly.

He heard the soft vibration on his nightstand and realized it was Sasuke's phone that had been ringing. Naruto gently tried to pry Sasuke's arm away but it didn't work. Sasuke just tightened his grip further, drawing a gasp from the blonde.

Damn, he has a firm grip.

Naruto shifted and started playing with Sasuke's bed hair, hoping that would wake him up. The phone vibrated again and he tugged on the dark locks.

Sasuke grabbed Naruto's wrist and groaned, "Why are pulling my hair?" Damn Sasuke had a sexy sleep voice.

"Good morning sleepy. Your phone is vibrating nonstop."

Sasuke quickly let go and reached over to grab his device. It had to be –

"It's Karin." Sleepiness vanished and he answered quickly, "Hey, everything okay?"

Naruto waited intently and stretched as Sasuke had his conversation with Karin, not wanting to eavesdrop, though it was hard not to when he was barely two feet away. A few minutes later he hung up and gave Naruto an unreadable look. He kept opening his mouth and closing it.

The blonde decided to start instead, "What happened?"

"Karin has to go visit Suigetsu's family, something about a relative. She didn't say much but – I have to go pick up Aiko." Sasuke flinched as if he was ready for an angry outburst. His brain automatically reacted, deeply used to Sakura's outburst in the past when Aiko had to suddenly join them. Even though he would always prioritize Aiko no matter what, the fights had always been draining.

Instead, Naruto visibly brightened, "Oh! Can I see her too?" He was practically giving Sasuke puppy dog eyes and Sasuke let out a laugh, which made Naruto frown in confusion. "What?"

Sasuke shook his head, "Nothing. I just… it makes me happy to see how much you like spending time with her."

"Duh!" Naruto rolled his eyes, "I might like her more than you." He cheekily grinned.

Sasuke pushed his face away, "Stupid."

Naruto squawked, "You're stupid for thinking otherwise!"

The brunette smiled gently, "You're right." He leaned over and kissed Naruto's forehead. "Do you want to eat breakfast first?"

"No! I want Aiko to eat with us." Naruto got up, forgetting all about kissing Sasuke back. He would've been offended if he didn't enjoy Naruto's enthusiasm greatly. He watched Naruto get ready with a fondness that made his chest ache. He felt awfully emotional over this, but it wasn't something he took lightly. The fact that he was able to be with both of them, create these memories together, and see how easily Naruto fit into their lives was something that filled him with so much joy. It made him excited to see what the future held between them.

"Hurry up!"

Even with Naruto's occasional bossiness.

"Bye, mommy!" Aiko practically ran out of the door the moment Sasuke and Naruto pulled up to Karin's house. The red-head flustered after her, reminding her that she needed to be careful! The weather turned out to be gloomy with thick dark clouds and a light drizzle that made Sasuke want to curl up with Naruto and Aiko.

Sasuke was about to get out of the SUV to buckle her in when Naruto beat him to it. He jumped out and picked up Aiko dressed in an adorable pastel pink raincoat and rainboots.

"Hi princess!"

"Naru!" Aiko squealed in joy when Naruto peppered kissed all over her cheeks.

"Did you already eat breakfast?" He already knew she hadn't since Sasuke had asked Karin to wait for them to pick her up but he still wanted to ask.

Aiko shook her head quickly, her hair bouncing with the movement. "No, I no eat!"

"Good, we can eat breakfast together." Naruto pulled over the backdoor and gently buckled her into her chair.

"Hi daddy!" Aiko beamed as she took in her dad's face who was eagerly as excited to see her.

Sasuke's eyes softened at seeing his little girl, "Hey baby." He leaned over and kissed her petite hand. "You ready?"

Aiko nodded happily as Naruto hopped back into his seat. She loved spending time with her dad and now with Naruto too!

Sasuke noticed during the drive that Naruto fidgeted in his seat, deep in thought. He had a feeling that he was nervous, though for the life of him he didn't understand why. They drove to Sasuke's apartment with Aiko chatting and Naruto keeping up with her wildly imaginative stories, but Sasuke kept seeing that weird fidgeting.

After a huge breakfast of pancakes, omelets, and fruit that Naruto whipped up, Aiko ran over to her room to play with her toys. While they were eating Sasuke noticed that Naruto didn't eat much but he brushed it off for the time being.

He took the opportunity to finally ask Naruto what was wrong.

The blonde washed the dishes and bit his lip, handing Sasuke a plate to dry.

"I was wondering… if it was okay if you guys spent the night at my house? I know it might be too forward or maybe weird, but I just really like spending time with you two and I thought it would be fun if Aiko saw my place and I have this really nice garden and koi pond in the back and – "

Sasuke cut him off with a kiss, "Breathe." Naruto never had to convince him to spend time with him and Aiko, though it was fun to watch Naruto ramble reasons why they should. There were times he wondered about Naruto's past. Why he was always so ready to be rejected or trying to keep his anxieties to himself. Naruto was so confident in his work but when it came to his personal life, he was… so so insecure.

He cupped Naruto's plump cheeks and gazed into his eyes, "You never need to feel nervous to ask. Sometimes I want to spend time with you too, but I don't want to come off as clingy."

Sasuke saw Naruto try to fight back tears and he wondered again just what Naruto had been through. He wanted to reassure him that he felt the exact same way, but… well he wasn't really used to this. Liking someone so damn much it made his chest explode.

"Thank you." Naruto eventually said in a whisper. Sasuke kissed Naruto like his life depended on it. He needed to show Naruto just how thankful he was to have him in his life.

"I want a kiss too!" Aiko interrupted the loving moment with a pout. The pair separated quickly and laughed between blushes.

Sasuke picked up Aiko and placed her against his hip, "You want a kiss too?" He teased.

"Yes." Aiko puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.

He placed Aiko between them, and they met each other's eyes with a mischievous glint, automatically knowing what they were gonna do. They both leaned in and peppered kisses all over her face. The little girl adored the attention and joyfully giggled.

After a full-on 3 minutes of kisses, they separated, all three gasping between laughs. Eventually, Aiko asked to get down but before she left Naruto got her attention. He squatted down to her level.

"Hey princess, do you want to spend the night at my house with your daddy?"

Aiko beamed and jumped in excitement, "Yes! Yes! I want to go!"

Naruto clapped his hands, "Yay! Why don't you get some clothes?"

Aiko nodded and ran off to her room to pack some clothes that Sasuke will have to check to make sure they're correct and there are no missing socks and pajamas, not just a random princess dress.

Naruto played with the collar of Sasuke's shirt, "You should also get some clothes while I finish up here, yeah?" He swatted Sasuke away as he finished the dishes with a hum.

Aiko explored Naruto's house in awe. It was so cool and colorful but had dark colors too. And there were sooo many paintings! She looked at each one and gently touched them. They looked like pictures, but they were painted!

Naruto let her look around, just asking her to be careful not to knock down anything. Aiko had given a firm affirmation, promising to be careful.

Naruto led them to another room in the house that was his art studio. It was huge and divided into two parts. One side was filled with canvases and painting supplies while the other had half-finished garments and a whole wall full of sewing supplies.

Sasuke's eyebrows shot up, "You paint too?" He knew the blonde was extremely talented with his sewing but not that he painted as well.

"Just for fun, I'm not that good." Not that good was a ridiculous understatement in Sasuke's eyes. This wasn't just a hobby; it was genuine talent. The canvases were filled with nature scenes, portraits, and colorful abstracts. He wondered why Naruto didn't sell these. He was sure his wealthy clients would love to buy them just to show them off.

"You don't sell them?" Sasuke murmured as he looked at a painting of frogs in a pond.

Naruto shook his head as he watched Aiko gently touch the various fabrics. "They're… personal. Kind of like a journal of my life."

"Makes sense. They're just… I always tell you this but seriously. You're so talented."

Something about Sasuke's tone made Naruto feel choked up. He was used to being praised by people in the industry but somehow Sasuke's just felt so personal. So raw. Maybe it was from the lack of praises growing up. He'd always been scolded by the orphanage staff and teachers when he failed to pick up the material in class.

"Fu – dge, I really really like you." Naruto gave him a wet laugh as he rubbed his eyes. It was so stupid to want to cry over a phrase like that.

Sasuke gazed at him with adoration and squeezed his hand, fighting back the urge to tease him for the almost slip up of saying fuck. "I really really like you too."

He wanted to kiss Naruto all over again. Smother him and show him with his body just how much he wanted him. But he knew it was too soon. Something kept telling him that he wanted to show him how much he cherished Naruto as a person before his amazing incredible sexy – nope. He needed to stop before he got horny again. It had already been incredibly difficult to hold back the night before.

Aiko tugged on Naruto's shirt and pleased with wide onyx eyes, "Nawu, I want to paint tomorrow?"

He ran his fingers through Aiko's hair, "Of course! I'll set up everything."

"Yay! I want see more?"

Naruto grinned, "Of course! I'll finish the tour."

Rain was coming down in thick waves so he couldn't show them the garden fully from what they could see, it was breathtaking. There were various fruit trees, dozens of different flowers, a small pool, a koi pond, and a seating area with a fireplace. It was so serene and Sasuke could see why Naruto loved it so much. Each part of the house held a piece of Naruto's personality. It was almost like seeing inside his mind and Sasuke was utterly enthralled by it.

"Woooow!" Aiko looked on in wonder, "Is sooo pretty!"

"Thank you princess! I love going out there and meditating."

"One day it'd be nice to spend the day out there," Sasuke commented.

Naruto's sapphire eyes softened, "I'd love that. Maybe Karin, Suigetsu and your friend Juugo can come too! We can have food or something."

There he went again, tugging at Sasuke's heartstrings without him even realizing it. He liked spending time with them. They were like his family and some of his best moments involved them and Aiko. It was hard when he was dating Sakura to make her understand that it wasn't weird or a threat to their relationship. She always thought that he'd suddenly end up wanting to get with Karin, even though he'd explained over and over that it was never like that. Wouldn't they have gotten together if that was the case? Plus, Karin happily was married to Suigetsu.

Yet here went Naruto, wanting to have everyone together happily and even offering his home.

He must have been silent for too long because Naruto started fidgeting again and he was probably a second away from probably apologizing. "That sounds amazing. Just a warning. They eat like wild animals.

Naruto's anxiety seemed to vanish in less than a second and he snickered, "That just means I'd have to get extra food."

"A lot of it." Sasuke drawled, remembering the times they'd gone to get all you can eat BBQ. They'd been there for hours, and the place had been desperate for them to leave.

They moved away from the backyard and Naruto finished the tour by showing them the guestroom that was painfully never used and the extra bathroom. They put on a movie and bundled up in Naruto's ridiculously printed blankets. Frogs, noodles, and even a dinosaur print. Sasuke should've been watching the movie but he couldn't help but glance at Naruto's serene face. Aiko was snuggled between them, head leaning on Naruto's arm. He felt that tug again in his heart that filled him with such intense emotions that he found himself wanting to pinch his leg just to make sure it was all real.

After dinner, Aiko got into Naruto's massive tub for a bubble bath. Sasuke took the opportunity to ask something that had been bothering him. Naruto hadn't eaten much during dinner and he briefly thought back to the previous times they'd eaten together. More often than not Naruto wouldn't eat much.

Sasuke squeezed Naruto's firm thigh to get his attention, "Hey, I noticed you didn't eat much. Are you sure you're not hungry?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head and started fidgeting with the strings of his sweater, "No I'm not hungry."

"Are you sure?" He knew he was probably being pushy, but he was worried.

"I – uh." Naruto averted his gaze, "Growing up I didn't have good nourishment and the doctor said it made my stomach really sensitive. Sometimes I can eat normally but then it'll affect me later on. Give me nausea and all that." He waved his hands in humiliation, "But I take supplements for it!" He put on that same tight smile Sasuke had seen when Naruto had been around Sakura. It hurt his heart to see him like this.

Sasuke grabbed his chin and firmly spoke, "You don't have to feel embarrassed of it. Don't fake your feelings just because you don't want to worry me." He let go and gently stroked Naruto's face, "Your malnutrition wasn't your fault and now I can understand you better. Thank you for trusting me."

"You don't see me any differently?" Naruto's voice was almost childlike.

Sasuke wanted to scoff. See Naruto differently? Only in how utterly strong Naruto truly is. He was sure this was only scratching the surface, but it was already enough to make him angry. Angry that such a beautiful person dealt such horror and pain.

"Never. Ever. It just reinforces how lucky I am to know you." He kissed Naruto. It wasn't a hungry kiss or just a chase one. It was one that conveyed everything he didn't know how to say. Sasuke grabbed the back of Naruto's head and deepened it until Naruto was breathless. Tears were rolling down his cheeks and Sasuke separated them just to wipe the tears away.

He murmured, "I'm always making you cry."

Naruto huffed, "Only because you make me feel so safe and happy."

Sasuke pecked his nose, his forehead, each eyelid. "Good. You deserve that and so much more. I never want to make you cry and hurt."

Naruto threw his arms around Sasuke's neck and squeezed him, "You're so good to me."

This time Sasuke did scoff, "Is that what you think?" He rubbed Naruto's back, "I'm the lucky one."

"Fine, we can both be the lucky ones." He felt Naruto's grin on his neck.

"Sounds like a good compromise. We should get Aiko, she's probably wondering where we are."

Naruto nodded, "Okay."

Right on cue, Aiko shouted that she was ready to get out. Sasuke put her into her pajamas while Naruto carefully dried her hair after. She had a cup of warm milk, and she was finally ready for bed.

It was decided without either of them voicing it that Aiko would sleep with them in the bed and the little girl was beyond ecstatic at being able to snuggle between them. She grabbed her stuffed panda bear, waiting patiently as Sasuke and Naruto changed. She looked tiny compared to the massive bed.

Naruto took a shower and put on a simple pair of pajama pants with frog prints and a white t-shirt since he had to dress appropriately with Aiko sleeping with them. Once they had changed Aiko eagerly patted the bed, urging them to hurry up and get in.

"Uh oh. Daddy there's no bedtime book." Aiko frowned.

"It's okay! I can tell you a story."

Naruto went into a grand lavish tale about a princess being guarded in a tower by a fiery dragon and an ogre going to save her because a short prince wanted to marry her. At the very end, the princess and the ogre fell in love and got married. Aiko was thrilled with the story and Sasuke was sure she'd be asking for it over and over again.

By the end Aiko had dozed off with a content sigh, leaving Sasuke and Naruto gazing at each other in the dim light.

Sasuke grabbed Naruto's hand and kissed his palm, "Goodnight." Naruto did the same in return and they both fell into a peaceful slumber.

Author Note: I just love writing moments between the three of them T_T I hope you got to know more about Naruto's past and just how incredibly strong he is.

Love you all and your support means so fucking much T_T

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