Over the next few days Gaara grows even more tired, and suddenly unable to eat a few things he previously could consume comfortably. Sasuke watches him closely, his worry starting to mount after the third day of Gaara avoiding the smell of food and retiring to bed early. It doesn't help that his work nearly doubles overnight due to a trade dispute with the Hidden Waterfall, and he comes home from his office late the next few days.

Gaara's been looking the slightest bit pale, and Sasuke frets silently, trying to feed the ill omega and make sure he gets enough sleep.

Sasuke's been with the children all day, doing some grocery shopping and entertaining them as they help him put everything away. He feels a bit like a housewife, but it's not a bad thing. Just different.

Gaara ends up bringing some paperwork home that night - the day after Sasuke really starts to worry.

He comes back at around seven, carrying some folders in one arm and scrolls in another. He dumps them on the kotatsu and greets them all, looking drained but not completely unhappy. There's still that tension in his shoulders that Sasuke doesn't like to see, though. The omega told him that every now and again work came in quicker than he and his workers could tackle it, resulting in long hours every now and again, but this is probably the worst time for that to happen since Gaara already wasn't feeling well. And unfortunately since the dispute has nothing to do with Konoha, it's not like Sasuke can exactly help. All he can do is be there to give the omega a painkiller and some rest afterwards.

Gaara sits down to make his way through more paperwork, but Sasuke crowds in close and just looks at him for a moment, before gently taking the pen from his hands and putting it back on the stack of papers. Sarada and Shinki race off to play, boisterous as ever.

The omega looks exhausted.

"That's enough paperwork. You have a migraine, I can tell." Sasuke says, pushing the work aside, "And most of your staff has gone home by now. It's time you rest too. It's late, and you've been working non-stop."

He knows well enough that Gaara would just keep going to the point of collapse unless someone stopped him. Sasuke takes it upon himself to make sure to have the Kazekage slow down as often as needed. He couldn't watch Gaara work himself to exhaustion.

Sasuke knew what that was like, and thus, he knew it took a toll.

"Oh, I...didn't realize how late it's gotten." Gaara says, looking a bit dazed, glancing out the window at the setting sun. Sasuke squeezes his hand.

"Rest," he says, "I'll make dinner."


When Sasuke finishes with dinner he finds Gaara still under the kotatsu, his head pillowed on his arms and half asleep. The mug of tea Sasuke gave him not even twenty minutes ago has gone lukewarm, and clearly only a few sips were taken before exhaustion overcame him.

Sasuke frowns.

Was this just a lack of sleep? Was that it ? It seemed to come on so suddenly...

Sasuke leans in close to the dozing redhead, studying his face.

He presses his fingertips gently to the eye rings that have darkened with fatigue. Red hair is mussed from resting on his arms, and he breathes deeply, almost completely unconscious.

"Gaara?"

"Mm." Gaara murmurs, half asleep, "I...fell asleep again, didn't I?"

"You did." Sasuke says, running his hand through Gaara's hair, "Dinner's ready. Then we can sleep."

Gaara nods slightly, drowsily lifting his head and sitting up.

"I think we should get you to a doctor." Sasuke says, taking his hand and pulling him to his feet, "You've been under the weather for the better part of a week…"

"I think it's just stress, I'm sure." Gaara says, "It'll pass."

"Gaara-"

"And if it doesn't, I promise you can drag me to the nearest physician." The redhead finishes, looking faintly amused.

Sasuke lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Okay." Sasuke nods, "Fair enough."

"I'll be alright." Gaara assures him.

But then omega can barely eat anything , clearly having no appetite. They both talk to the children about their day, entertaining the little ones as they eat then clean up, but Sasuke watches Gaara from the corner of his eye.

The sight of Gaara's full plate doesn't make him feel any better. And it doesn't stomp out the compulsion to drag Gaara to the medical wing right now.

But Sasuke knew that Gaara wasn't fond of doctors, much like himself. He won't betray Gaara's trust by forcing him to go when he doesn't want to. Sasuke never wanted to force Gaara to do anything .

He remembers when he was injured. The omega had the doctor look him over, but he didn't drag Sasuke against his will.

But somehow Sasuke can't help it. He just wants to make sure that it's nothing potentially serious. He could be overreacting, but he couldn't stop the red flags in his head every time Gaara refused food or fell asleep at his desk. The fatigue on his face made Sasuke uneasy.

Gaara didn't complain, and he never disclosed how he felt until Sasuke asked, but he saw everything. How Gaara avoided certain plants in the apartment now, because their scent was simply too much for him these days. He couldn't seem to stomach things like green onions or red bean anymore. He woke up exhausted.

Something was off.


And something about this wakes Sasuke up and makes him remember that he has something important to take care of that he's been putting off. Once they're in bed for the night and the omega is peacefully asleep the thoughts go from Gaara to something else.

How can he be dedicated to building a life here if he had so many loose ends?

And Sasuke knows he can no longer avoid the pressing thoughts of what he'll have to do much longer. He thinks it all through, and decides what he should tackle first.

Haruno.

Step one.

He sighs to himself and runs a hand through his hair. Gaara stirs and then settles as Sasuke's eyes roam the dozing omega's face as he stills, unwilling to risk waking the man next to him.

Konoha.

He needed to cut that tether. Haruno needed to let him go. Officially. Once and for all. It wouldn't be easy to be there again, and be face to face with her - and he can only imagine how she'll react, but...this wasn't fair to Gaara. Just because the omega wouldn't force him to move faster than he wanted to in terms of dealing with his shit, it still wasn't right for Sasuke to wait so long. To make Gaara wait for him. A big part of him knows that Gaara doesn't see it like that, but honestly in Sasuke's eyes he's pretty much a shit person for not dealing with it sooner .

He's waited long enough. Sasuke knows where he wants to be, and it was here, with Gaara and their children. Somehow he found a home again, and he's already frustrated by the fact that there are those who'd love to rob him of it. Again.

And to completely be able to give himself and Gaara what they deserve he needs to fully disconnect himself from someone he - honestly - wanted nothing to do with anyway.

Sasuke needs to get to work taking his life back. He needs a solid plan. He's long overdue.


The next morning he slips out of bed as quietly as he can, careful to avoid making any noise as he slips out into the living room and out the door, into the hallway of the mansion. Sasuke resolved last night to make this quick. He should be back before Gaara wakes up. Hopefully. If not he'll just tell the redhead the truth, but he preferred to keep this to himself for now, if possible. Gaara was stressed enough.

He purposefully seeks out an intern who he's sure has never seen him before. One he barely runs into, even to and from Gaara's office and the children's tutoring rooms. Whoever that is would be least likely to remember him if anything ever happened, simply because Sasuke was a stranger who appeared and then disappeared just as quickly.

That method helped on one too many missions in the past. People didn't tend to remember fleeting presences.

He peers into the office and his eyes land on a woman he's never interacted with before, sitting at a desk and organizing papers. She pays him no mind, but he spies the Suna worker's crest on her sleeve.

She should have an answer for him, then. He steps inside, clearing his throat.

She looks up and sees him, a question in her eyes, "Can I help you?"

He feels some sort of invisible burden lift when he asks his next question. Honestly, he partially expects Konoha ANBU to apprehend him as soon as the next words leave his mouth. It's ridiculous, but he kind of does.

They wouldn't be happy about Sasuke beginning to sever one of the only bonds keeping Konoha "safe" from him. He finds it ironic that the elders feared he still held a grudge against the village when what Sasuke really wanted was to be left alone and to never be reminded of the place ever again.

Horrible, horrible irony.

"How do I...go about getting divorce papers here?" Sasuke asks.

She looks a bit startled by how bluntly he asks, but she nods all the same.

"Civilian divorce forms, I assume?"

"I...think so. Yeah."

She heads over to a cabinet and opens a drawer, flipping through files for a moment. Then she grabs a stack and checks them before turning to him.

"Here you are." She says, handing them to him and looking sympathetic, "Are these...for you?"

"Yes."

She frowns, "Oh...I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He sighs in relief without a thought, looking down at the forms, "I'm certainly not."

She looks surprised, and he wonders why for a moment until it hits him. He's probably the only person on the planet happy to be asking for a divorce and willing to say it so plainly. He guesses most people would be ashamed. Maybe he is. He just wants this over with so he doesn't really care .

But still. He has the first step. The hardest is yet to come, but still.

She opens her mouth to say something, but she's interrupted when Kankuro enters her office. He strolls in, clearly having been there for a few seconds at least. He looks like he's fresh out of a training session, sweaty and slightly ruffled.

He raises an eyebrow, "Divorce papers, huh? Trouble in paradise?"

"Lord Kankuro!" She says, startled and standing at attention, "Hello, sir!"

"Hey, Ami." He nods to her. She leaves them be, quickly heading back to her work, and then a second later out the door to deliver her papers to the appropriate workers for filing and organizing.

Kankuro looks at Sasuke, obviously expecting an answer.

Sasuke blinks at him for a moment, unsure what he could mean.

That is, until he realizes that Kankuro is teasing him.

"You know these aren't for Gaara and I." He says.

"Yep. Kind of the point of the joke."

"Hm."

Kankuro glances at the documents in Sasuke's hand, and then back at him. He looks the Uchiha in the eye for a moment, like he's searching for something.

"So I take it that the whole marriage thing to Haruno wasn't your idea."

"No." Sasuke says bitterly, "Of course it wasn't. I was backed into a corner. And now I need to get out of it."

"Sasuke?"

"Hm?"

"Does Gaara know?"

He knows what Kankuro is asking. If Sasuke was upfront about what he had to deal with.

"Of course he does." Sasuke says, "I told him a while ago."

Kankuro folds his arms, looking at him seriously, "And your plan?"

Sasuke fidgets, suddenly feeling like a little kid under Kankuro's gaze. It's the strangest thing. He fleetingly wonders if this is how Gaara feels when his siblings do this to him.

"I'm going to have to head to Konoha soon. Just for a day. Talk to Haruno Sakura." He says, "Tell her I can't be in a fake marriage with her anymore. That I'm already gone. She's going to have to accept it."

"And if she doesn't?"

"She's going to have to." Sasuke says, "I'll make sure she does. They can't force me to do whatever they want anymore."

"And Gaara?"

"I won't be bringing him with me. I have to do this alone." Sasuke says, "I don't want him wrapped up in that. He shouldn't have to deal with this too."

Kankuro raises an eyebrow, "He's going to want to be with you."

Sasuke knew that. He knew that as soon as he told him that he was planning on revisiting Konoha to deliver Haruno the papers that Gaara would worry for him. But he couldn't drag Gaara into this. He already wasn't feeling well, and Sasuke really didn't want to stress the redhead further.

"I know." Sasuke says, looking at the papers in his hand, "But I…I don't want to stress him out. He stays here. This is my fight. He shouldn't have to deal with being in the middle of it. I won't allow him to get caught up even further in my mess. Not if I can help it."

Kankuro looks at him for a long moment before he nods, "You've made up your mind."

"Yes."

"And you're sure about staying with my brother."

"Of course I am." Sasuke says, "For as long as he wants me around."

Kankuro shrugs and turns to head to the door, "Well, I doubt you have to worry about that, Gaara likes you more than anyone else I've ever seen."

Sasuke sort of pauses at that, face reddening. Which is ridiculous, because he knows that Gaara likes him, it's just that he's once again reminded they're not in their own little bubble and that others pick up on it too.

"C'mon, I might as well deliver you back to my brother." Kankuro says, waving him out the door as well.

Sasuke turns to follow.


It's later that day that Sasuke notices that Gaara's routine has become a whirlwind of work and not much else.

A thought comes to him.

Maybe Gaara needed some fresh air? Being cooped up in the mansion for days couldn't be good for him, always working. The Kazekage seemed almost sluggish, and was starting to somehow get paler. Sasuke watches him closely, keeping an eye on the omega, but Gaara doesn't seem to be improving any from day to day.

"Hey," Sasuke says, turning to him in the dark that night, "Let's do something tomorrow."

"Like what?" Gaara asks, sounding curious and yet muffled into Sasuke's sweater. He presses closer to the alpha, and Sasuke wraps his arm tighter around him.

Gaara kisses him, and Sasuke pulls him closer on instinct, heart stuttering.

"Sorry. I just-"

"Don't apologize." Sasuke says, "You know I don't mind."

Gaara goes red, then buries his face in Sasuke's neck once more.

"Yes. I'd like to do something tomorrow." He says quietly.

Sasuke nods, a faint smile on his lips, "Okay. Good. Anything in particular?"

"Can I think about it?"

"Of course."


The next day starts out normal. They make breakfast side by side, play with the children a bit, and then Gaara sends for Kankuro to watch them while they go for their outing. He's chosen a part of the village Sasuke doesn't think he's ever seen before. He's thankful it's close enough that he can get Gaara home if he starts feeling ill.

The children bounce around them and ask for little treats and toys from some shops, and Sasuke smiles and ruffles their hair, promising to bring them back something before he opens the door for Kankuro when he arrives, grumbling with fake annoyance about being the 'on-call babysitter'.

"If you're busy we can ask-" Gaara starts, before Kankuro interrupts him.

"Nah, nah. I got the little ones. It's my duty as the fun uncle, anyway." Kankuro says easily before ruffling Gaara's hair, "Have fun on your date."

Gaara grumbles at him and fixes his hair, looking like a petulant little brother. He's still a bit pale, but he seems a little less tired at the moment, so Sasuke is a bit relieved. If Gaara was exhausted he wouldn't take him out at all, instead insisting that the omega rest.

But thankfully Gaara seems more or less fine for the moment. He needed some fresh air, and Sasuke was glad that Gaara had some energy, even if it was just a little.

Sasuke takes his hand and leads him out the door before he and Kankuro can start bickering again, and they step out into Suna's warm air. Sasuke's long since gotten used to the heat, but sometimes it still surprises him.

It was almost fall, and yet it was still so incredibly warm here. Sasuke almost forgot what time of year it was until he started seeing flyers for Suna's fall festival up everywhere.

Their hands are discreetly clasped together as they talk quietly and browse the small stationary shops on the far side of the village, simply enjoying each other's company.

Sasuke watches Gaara out of the corner of his eye, keeping an eye on the omega's complexion and trying to gauge how he feels.

"I don't think I've been here yet." Sasuke says, looking around. There are small shops playing soft music, a bath house and some restaurants. More cafes than the marketplace. They looked a bit different, less traditional.

"Then I've done a terrible job showing you around." Gaara says, "This is the southern district. The newer shops usually spend a few years here until they move to the marketplaces. But some have stayed here for years."

"Why do they move?"

"More people visit the market district." Gaara tells him, "This is a more modern section of the village, but the people of Suna tend to prefer the center square."

"Hm." Sasuke hums, looking around. It does look rather updated. The style of the shops and architecture were a bit different from the rest of the village. Some billboards were electronic, and switched between adverts now.

He squeezes Gaara's hand, letting the omega lead him down another street lined with shop windows.

Sasuke is looking into the window of what looks to be a flower shop while Gaara talks to a nearby vendor, and by the time he looks up Gaara is back by his side, looking a bit drained already and...

He's absentmindedly popping a small candy into his mouth.

"You don't usually like candy." Sasuke says, amused.

Gaara looks like he just remembers this, and then looks confused as to why he's eating it.

"I don't, do I? I'm not sure why I wanted this." He says.

Sasuke takes his hand again, and Gaara discards the sweets, disgust on his face.


They are drawn into another stationary shop, looking at a small picture book with a brown bear drawn on it.

"I think the children would like a new book." Gaara says, "And Sarada likes this one, so let's get both."

He picks up another book with a little red bird on it.

"Oh. Yeah." Sasuke says, "She has that bird on everything. I didn't know it was a cartoon character until they forced me to watch it for a few hours yesterday."

"I only know because Shinki has forced me to read the books over and over again." Gaara says.

Sasuke takes his hand. Cold.

"Hey, how have you been feeling?"

Gaara looks slightly surprised for a moment, but then he looks away, thoughtful.

"I'm not sure. I've been tired, I suppose." He says. Sasuke nods.

"We should get you checked out." Sasuke frowns, looking at Gaara. His red hair was slightly mussed by the wind, and his dark circles were slightly darker. He didn't want to push, but if Gaara was constantly unwell...

"I don't think it's quite that serious, yet." Gaara sighs, "And I'm not sure when I'll even have the time next."

"We can make time." Sasuke says. Gaara squeezes his hand.

"It's just...not only the exhaustion." Sasuke continues, "You're pale. You haven't been eating."

He doesn't mean to nag, but the change in Gaara's behavior is difficult for Sasuke to ignore. Even more confusingly, Gaara didn't smell sick, or anything like that. As close to the omega as he was, Sasuke didn't notice Gaara's scent wavering or going dull in the same way that would imply an illness. If anything, he smelled sweeter for some reason, and that only added to his confusion. If he had a stomach bug or something, he'd notice because his scent would probably go dull or bitter, but Gaara smelled fine. He smelled more appealing to Sasuke as time went on, actually.

"Not sure what's going on, really." Gaara sighs, squeezing Sasuke's hand, looking thoughtful.

And then - without any warning whatsoever - Sasuke's brain clicks the pieces into place.

He pauses, then thinks through everything again, and when the thought finally strikes him he feels like an idiot for not considering it before. When had Sasuke's brain stopped working?

Gaara's an omega, and they haven't been bothering with any sort of protection…

Sasuke didn't know too much about omegas (but maybe he'd scanned some books since he made his way to the Sand) but the symptoms of what has been plaguing Gaara for the last few days...

They had sex most nights, so it really should have easily been the first thing Sasuke thought of. For some reason he'd totally overlooked it. Though in both of their defense, it was usually during heats that something like this would happen, and while it wasn't really unheard of for a conception to occur outside of them, it wasn't the norm.

Why was he only just thinking of this now?

Though of course, he hasn't had to worry about getting anyone pregnant since Sakura, and that was forced on him. So being in a willing relationship with Gaara now...he really just didn't think about it. And with how busy Gaara's been lately, he knows he hasn't either.

Sasuke wonders how he can get so caught up in some things and completely be blindsided by even simpler things.

Sasuke's brain astounds him sometimes. And it frustrates him greatly. Most of the time.

It explains so much about what's been up with Gaara lately.

Gaara was pregnant. Probably. Maybe.

The possibility almost immobilizes him right there. The entire realization only takes a few seconds, and Gaara hasn't even noticed his silence yet, but it feels like everything is moving in slow motion and yet his mind is firing in all directions. He doesn't really know what to say for a second, just turning over the possibility that Gaara could be...that they could have…

His mind shoots everywhere all at once, processing his own suspicions about what ailed the redhead.

The words tumble out before he can think about it. He turns to Gaara and blinks at him, eyes wide.

"Gaara, is it possible that you're…"

He glances at Gaara's stomach, trailing off and still a bit struck by the revelation and the possibility, really.

Green eyes blink at him in question, head tilted, "Sasuke?"

"I mean-"

"Hello! Can I help you with anything?"

They turn to find the shop worker smiling at them and bowing.

Sasuke grimaces and holds his tongue, frustration mounting at the sight of the interruption. It's not the woman's fault, but he's still immensely irritated that she'd popped up at the most inconvenient moment.

His mind wanders as Gaara makes small talk with the shop owner. What if Gaara is…?

What if?

They talk for about five minutes, but it feels so much longer than that while Sasuke's mind races.

He stands next to the redhead and buzzes with energy, not following the conversation and not quite listening either. He just stands there silently, fidgeting and letting his mind run into spirals.

If Gaara is...if he's pregnant then that means that they've created a baby together and-

Sasuke stares at Gaara as he speaks to the shop associate, trying to gauge the probability.

Pretty high. Even if Gaara didn't quite know yet, somehow Sasuke had a hunch that this was it.

And before he can completely throw himself into a panic, a small part of him pipes up and echoes two little words.

'More family.'

And everything in him clings to that. He begins to wonder if this is even something to panic about . They already have two children, and one more wouldn't make a big difference. Sasuke already knew how to be a father, and it's not like he hasn't already become a parent to another child recently. Shinki now clung to him like he clung to Gaara, and Sasuke was just as attached to the little boy. So...a new baby…

Realistically, it wouldn't change too much.

And yet...even the nebulous possibility felt monumental. If he and Gaara were truly having a baby then…

They were already a family - Gaara called them one all the time and Sasuke agreed, and the children adjusted quicker than even he and Gaara in some ways - but another child meant that it was even more solidified. In a different way. Sasuke couldn't quite explain it.

He feels that familiar warmth gather in his chest, and wonders when he got so used to it.

"Sasuke?" Gaara asks, gently taking and squeezing his hand once the worker leaves, "Are you alright?"

Sasuke startles a bit, lost in his thoughts until he finds himself staring into questioning green eyes.

"Y-yeah." He chokes a bit, "Gaara, what I wanted to ask before…"

"Yes?"

"Is there...do you think there's any chance that you're not feeling well because…actually, we should probably talk about this at home later..."

"Hm? Why?"

"It's just...kind of-"

"Is it serious?" Gaara asks, looking a bit alarmed.

"It could be."

He knows what Gaara is going to ask before he even opens his mouth, so Sasuke takes Gaara's hand and leads him out of the store after quickly paying for the books for the children and turning onto an empty street.

"Sasuke?" Gaara says, looking increasingly confused, "What did you need to ask me?"

Sasuke stops by a bench and turns to him, "Sorry about...that. I just don't think you'd want to talk about this around so many people-"

"Talk about what?"

"I just...I was thinking...with your symptoms and the fact that you only just started getting sick last week..." Sasuke asks, feeling more than a bit nervous, "Gaara, is there a chance that you're pregnant? I only ask because it all makes sense and-"

He cuts himself off when the color drains from Gaara's face in almost an instant. Sasuke takes his hand again.

"I..." Gaara says slowly, "I didn't...think about that."

Sasuke is immediately tipped off by the man's reaction, and he knows he's struck a nerve when Gaara looks away, shoulders tense.

"Hey, Gaara. It's okay, I just...it's just a thought I had-"

The omega looked a bit like he was almost curling into himself and trying to avoid even thinking of the possibility.

Sasuke guesses he can't really be surprised. That was a particular trauma that Gaara rarely opened up about. He'd told his siblings only because they found out, and he told Sasuke because they trust each other. But that was it. Gaara never mentioned it again. Not even in passing. And for Sasuke to bring it up so casually-

He mentally kicks himself. He's still so clumsy with handling things sometimes. Sasuke watches him quietly for a moment, just thinking of what to say.

Sasuke could read his scent well enough. It was dull and fading.

The redhead was nervous. Scared. Apprehensive.

"Gaara." Sasuke says, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"No, it's not your fault." Gaara says, quietly, "I just…maybe I just caught something, and that's all. Or it's a...cold."

He sounds so unlike himself, and Sasuke finally gets a glimpse of Gaara as he's hardly ever seen him.

Struck by terror.

"We need to get you checked out." Sasuke says, gently, "Just to find out what's going on and to be sure you're alright."

Gaara is quiet for a while, simply looking down at their intertwined hands. Sasuke gives him as long as he needs, knowing it was a lot to process at once. Especially for the one it was happening to.

Eventually Gaara takes a deep breath and nods, "Right."

He looks a bit dazed, and Sasuke squeezes his hand gently.

"I'll be there too."

That makes Gaara finally look at him, surprised.

"I'm going with you. Why wouldn't I?" Sasuke says, "I'd never leave you to deal with this yourself."

Just because he had to do it alone the first time doesn't mean he had to be alone again. Sasuke would never allow that. And he knew Gaara trusted him. So when the omega starts to look a bit more steady after he assures him, he's not surprised.


Sasuke notices that Gaara's scent changes a bit more about two days after their outing in the west district of the village. It basically solidifies what he already suspects. He smells mostly the same on the surface, but there was something warmer there, under the surface. When they curled around each other to sleep Sasuke could tell. There was something there that he couldn't describe. Like it was made for him somehow - like Sasuke put it there? It called to him, and he finds himself sticking close to Gaara once he scents it on him. The redhead doesn't seem to notice. They're at each other's sides most of the time anyway, except for when Gaara needs to work.

Sasuke let's Gaara decide when they should see a doctor, and for those two days the redhead doesn't mention it. Sasuke gives him his time to process it, especially since Gaara doesn't seem to be getting worse and he understood how much this had to be to handle. Eventually he'll bring it up again, but he won't push. Gaara didn't need that.

Sasuke wakes the next morning feeling settled and to the sounds of the obnoxiously loud yellow birds chirping outside his window.

He turns his head, eyes immediately landing on the face of the man in bed next to him. Gaara sleeps peacefully, unaware that Sasuke was awake. Some fresh bruises bloomed on his neck. Sasuke could feel where Gaara marked him too. His back was a mess, he was sure. The burn is pleasant, though. They tend to hold each other tightly, and neither had a problem with that.

Sasuke stands, reaching around in the dark for his pants. He finds them by the door and doesn't bother with a shirt, rubbing his eyes and heading towards the kitchen. He notices that his arm hasn't acted up in a while. No burning pain from torn muscle or even the occasional pang of sharp pain. Sasuke doesn't need to wonder, he knows being around Gaara's scent constantly helped tremendously with that.

He glances at the wrapping, noting that he has to change it at some point today. But before that...

Might as well get started on breakfast while everyone was asleep. He clicks on the pot for tea, yawning lightly.

He goes with something simple, and by the time Gaara's rubbing his eyes and wandering into the kitchen (in Sasuke's shirt) about half an hour later breakfast is partially finished.

His eyes linger on his neck - where a bonding mark would go - every now and again.

"You're awake."

"I am." Gaara mumbles, biting back a yawn. His hair is a mess.

Sasuke's sure he doesn't look much better himself. He liked Gaara's hair like that, though. He looked relaxed.

"Morning. Kids are still asleep." He says, "Tea?"

"Thank you."

He hands Gaara the steaming cup of green tea and turns back to the stove.

"What are you making?" Gaara asks, voice rough with sleep. He presses to Sasuke's shoulder, leaning his head there. Sasuke finds his hand coming to tangle in red hair.

"Some miso soup and vegetables. The tamagoyaki is almost finished."

"Do you need help?"

"Only if you don't mind."

"Of course not."

They make breakfast side by side, talking quietly until the children wake up and go searching for them.

Afterward breakfast the children run off and Sasuke rests his head on Gaara's lap, already starting to doze. He did that a lot these days, just found Gaara wherever he was and simply rested on him.

Gaara always welcomed it, happy that Sasuke was so comfortable with him, asking for what he needed in the way he felt best. The omega almost always started running his fingers through Sasuke's hair, scent going warm and happy, wrapping around him.

"The first one up, yet you're hardly awake." Gaara smiles, looking content for the first time in a while and running a hand through Sasuke's hair. He leans into his touch, settling and almost melting into Gaara's lap.

"Woke up too early, I guess." Sasuke murmurs.

The Kazekage gives him a fond look, "You're like a cat."

"Sarada says that too." Sasuke says, "Why does everyone think I behave like a cat?"

"Because you do." He smiles, running fingers through Sasuke's hair, "You just walk up and plop your head in my lap when you want attention. Akumi-chan does the same thing"

He thinks for a second.

Maybe they had a point.

"That's fair." Sasuke concedes, still leaning into Gaara's touch as the omega works out the tangles in his hair.

The Uchiha dozes.


He doesn't really mean to sleep so deeply, but of course he does.

That is, until Sasuke's shaken awake by Shinki saying his name in a little wobbly voice he's never heard from the boy.

"Sasuke?"

He wakes slowly, blinking the sleep from his eyes and catching sight of Shinki, looking at him with an urgency he's never seen on the boy before. He reaches for him instinctively and the child runs to him, climbing in his lap, eyes wide.

"What's wrong, Shinki?" Sasuke asks, biting back a yawn before he looks around.

Before the boy can answer he hears a crash and the sound of something shattering.

Sasuke sits up quickly, "Where's your father?"

The little boy shifts nervously in his lap, frowning, "Mr. Shira is at the door. He smells...mad. Father is talking to him, but I don't like it. I think he's being mean. And Akumi-chan..."

Sasuke's up before the boy can finish, putting the child down and gesturing for the boy to go back to his bedroom, and away from the door. He's urgent, but he doesn't intend to scare the little boy either.

"It's alright Shinki, go play with Sarada, okay?" Sasuke says gently, "I'll make sure your father's alright."

Shinki nods and makes his way back to his bedroom, looking back at Sasuke, clearly worried.

Sasuke yanks open the door, already on edge.

He can scent Gaara - sharp and alert - and a foreign scent that did seem confrontational and angry-

"It's all over you." Sasuke hears him spit, "His scent is-"

He steps out just in time to see someone's hand grab Gaara's wrist - his sand hovering threateningly over the man who's clutching him in a tight and probably painful grip. Akumi-chan seems to have made her way out here as well, and she stands with every hair on end - hissing and baring her teeth at the strange alpha. A smashed flower pot lies in pieces on the ground between them. The cat bristles and takes a threatening step towards the person she perceives as a stranger, hissing dangerously.

Gaara's sand looks like it's only barely being held back from attacking, stretched over Shira - about to descend and defend its charge. The man doesn't even acknowledge the sand, just glaring at the quietly fuming omega in his hold.

Gaara looks absolutely furious , his eyes blazing and his teeth gritted, a frustrated furrow between his non-existent brows.

"Shira. This is incredibly inappropriate. I will attack you. You have one chance. Let. Go. Of. Me."

Sasuke observes all of this in less than a second.

Anger fills him as soon as he takes in the scene, and his scent goes dark and sour, dangerous to even his own senses.

Sasuke doesn't wait for the man's hand to loosen - or for either of them to even notice he's there - he just grabs the idiot's arm and wrenches him away from Gaara, harshly twisting his wrist in the process until he hears a violent snap. All Sasuke feels is fury, indignation and annoyance . The other alpha shouts and stumbles back once Sasuke pushes him away, clutching his snapped wrist and gritting his teeth in pain. He finally looks at Sasuke, noticing his presence for the first time.

His eyes cloud over with hate.

" You ." He roars, " You broke my-"

Sasuke doesn't notice ANBU pouring in until they're all surrounded by a handful of them, obviously drawn in by the noise Shira is currently making.

"You're lucky it wasn't your jaw, or your entire arm . What do you think you're doing?" Sasuke snaps, already incensed. He steps in front of Gaara, and while he remembers that the omega wouldn't really need any help taking this man down, he didn't like seeing him grabbed like that. Like he was entitled to something. A scalding, possessive feeling boils inside him, and he quickly realizes that if he's not careful he'll probably kill this man for even daring to touch him like that. And if Gaara's pregnant…

"Takahami Shira." An ANBU says behind a mask, "What's the meaning of this?"

Sasuke can already guess what happened here just from the quick glance he got a second ago. The man came by, probably with the flowers that were now smashed on the ground, scented Sasuke on Gaara and clearly wasn't happy with that. The gall that he possessed to grab his own leader like that, though.

Sasuke grit his teeth. He had to make sure he didn't let his instincts rip the nin's head off. He had to calm down. Seriously hurting him would do them no favors, especially since things were about to get even more complicated…

But...

Leaving Gaara to deal with him wasn't an option he would even dream of considering, and Sasuke refuses to leave it be. He didn't like how this man conducted himself the first time he met him, and now Sasuke knew it was time to set him straight.

His eyes fall on the smashed flower pot on the floor. Pink flowers lie scattered, the roots ripped from the dirt and strewn about.

"I was speaking to him ." He snaps, eyes narrowing as he eyes Gaara and clutches his wrist, fuming, "Not you, Black Ops. And not you, Uchiha Sasuke." The other alpha sneers at him, hard eyes on the Uchiha.

"I know who you are. What are you even doing here?" He continues.

"What does it matter to you?." Sasuke says, glaring, "Don't grab him like that. How dare you?"

Another ANBU nin seems to assess the situation and comes to Shira's side, gripping his good arm to restrain him. That doesn't seem to bother him though.

He's too busy glaring at Sasuke.

Even the alpha is clearly cowed by Sasuke's rage though - and the irritated scent rolling off of him in waves - but does his damndest to continue to glare at Sasuke and not give away how his wrist no doubt screams painfully.

An alpha posturing once they've already been put in their place. Sasuke's seen it all before, in battle after battle. But him grabbing Gaara was far more personal than a random enemy nin trying to kill him in a forest.

The alpha shifts, enraged yet cowering, sneering at Sasuke once more.

"Why are you - an alpha of the Leaf - in Lord Gaara's home?!" The man snaps back, scent going acrid in his anger, "Your scent hangs all over him, and I'm sure the council won't be happy to know-"

More ANBU move to restrain him as he grows more angered as the seconds tick by.

"Keep your hands to yourself. Or I will break the other one next time. Then your neck." Sasuke fires back, advancing on him, "He's not a doll . Do not touch him again."

"Why, because he's yours!?" Shira grits out, fuming.

"That's none of your business." Sasuke says, "Go."

Sasuke realizes his sharingan has been activated the entire time.

The man grits his teeth, " This isn't even your village! You have no right to lay claim to an omega of Suna-"

" Go . Before I hurt you very badly." Sasuke says, sharingan glowing, "I won't tell you again."

The man opens his mouth to protest, looking infuriated, but Sasuke can feel his own rage mounting as well.

Maybe Shira can too. He just gives Sasuke one more hatred filled glance and turns away, making his way down the hallway, still cradling his wrist. The ANBU ninja secure Gaara and then escort the grumbling and injured alpha away, probably for questioning.

Sasuke breathes for a second, just trying to reel in his anger at the other alpha's brazen entitlement. He saw glimpses of it the first time, but not nearly this ridiculously hostile and possessive of someone who clearly didn't regard him in any particular way.

'Why, because he's yours?!'

He's going to be a problem. Sasuke can tell. But that's not what he's focused on right now. He turns to face Gaara, who watches Shira be escorted away with a look of apprehension on his face.

Neither of them had great experiences with being grabbed, so Sasuke wasn't surprised. But he is livid at the nerve of that alpha.

"Are you okay?" Sasuke asks, unable to help scenting the omega, covering the sweet scent with his own. He doesn't care that ANBU linger about, just making sure their Kazekage has no orders for them until Gaara waves them away.

He examines Gaara for a long, frantic moment, making sure he didn't miss anything. Any injury, or…

He knows Gaara can protect himself, and if Sasuke hadn't shown up when he did he probably just would have wrapped the man in sand and that would have been that, but Sasuke still couldn't just let Gaara handle it himself. That felt wrong, and while he knew he didn't need to, he still worries and looks his partner over for injuries or anything amiss.

His eyes shoot to Gaara's neck, relieved to see the skin unbroken by a forced bite. Sasuke sighs, but he still feels that telltale prickle under his skin. Sasuke knew all about predatory people, and that man was certainly one of them.

"I'm alright. He didn't do much more than grab my wrist. Thank you, Sasuke." Gaara says.

Sasuke glances down the hallway again, anger still boiling inside him. The man is gone, but Sasuke's scent is still affronted and harsh, clearly annoyed.

"Has he done that before?" He asks, taking Gaara's wrist and making sure the man didn't leave a bruise. That dark, angry, slimy feeling makes Sasuke want to track the man down and wring his neck. He should have thrown caution to the wind and broken his jaw anyway.

Rage rolls in Sasuke's chest, like waves. Fucking entitled piece of shit grabbed Gaara-

"No, that's the first time he's gone that far. He's been sending flowers, and I keep telling him to stop." Gaara says, eyes on the flower pot, "I suppose he decided to deliver these himself. He didn't like me saying that it was unprofessional to his face, apparently."

Sasuke studies his face, "He makes you uncomfortable."

Gaara looks down at their joined hands, "He's certainly starting to, yes."

"The next time this happens I break more of his bones." Sasuke says, "I don't like him. He's aggressive, and clearly doesn't know when to stop. He needs to be fired and kept far away from you. I'll talk to Kankuro about it."

Gaara protected Sasuke all the time, and Sasuke refused to stand by while this asshole did what he wanted. Gaara could defend himself, but as long as Sasuke is there he doesn't have to. Not to mention Gaara was too kind and diplomatic to truly attack one of his own people. He makes a snap decision to talk to Gaara's ANBU about this at some point too, and see what they've gotten from Shira from their questioning. Either that or Sasuke follows Shira and rams his sword through the alpha's throat in a dark alley, or something.

(He wouldn't , Sasuke wasn't for unnecessary bloodshed unless it explicitly called for that, but...)

"My council watches everything I do. So I try not to make unnecessary changes and give them a reason to harass me about my staff, but you're right." Gaara sighs, "I'm probably going to have to fire him or have him transferred. Especially after ANBU files the report."

"Yes. He gets sent somewhere he doesn't get to run into you. Ever . He doesn't get to do this again." Sasuke says, voice tight with anger, "Shinki woke me up and told me he was at the door. That you were out there. Said he seemed angry."

If Sasuke wasn't there...

Gaara's face goes a bit pale. He swears under his breath and runs his hands down his face, his stress obvious. Gaara's been attacked before, but this was a bit different. A biologically motivated attack was much different than someone trying to land a blow in a fight.

"I...I thought Shinki was playing with Sarada. I didn't know he had any idea that-"

"That isn't your fault." Sasuke says, firmly, "You didn't do anything wrong. It's him who can't understand the word 'no'. If he comes near you again I'll take care of him."

Gaara was clearly more than a bit frazzled, and Sasuke doesn't blame him. Being grabbed immediately made several awful events flash behind his eyelids, and he didn't doubt it was the same for Gaara. Which doesn't help his anger any. Gaara was clearly startled by the encounter, though his face hardly showed it. Sasuke could see it.

"Let's go inside. I'll come back out and clean up the flower pot later."

"You don't have to, I can-"

"It's okay." Sasuke says, squeezing his hand gently, like Gaara does for him when he's stressed. The omega settles the slightest bit.

"Okay." He concedes.


Gaara's feeling a little better once the sun starts to set, and he assures Sasuke he's alright for the millionth time, that nothing else happened and that he's unharmed. Akumi-chan curls around the omega's stomach and purrs, clearly trying to sooth him in the only way she knows how. She starts to knead again, pushing her paws into Gaara's shirt, right above his middle. That actually gets a small smile out of the omega, who's clearly amused by the cat's behavior and able to forget about the worrying encounter a few hours before.

Sasuke still can't help glancing at him every now and again. He finds himself...well, not hovering, but...watching the omega. He seems alright, if a bit tired. That doesn't completely quell Sasuke's worry, though.

Sasuke just can't really stop thinking about what could have happened if…

Yeah, Sasuke thinks angrily to himself. He's definitely going to have to break that guy's jaw. He's almost sure of it. Certain people didn't go away until you forced them to.

Akumi-chan trills happily and rolls onto her back in Gaara's lap, and Sasuke watches the omega smile and gently scratch her head.

He knows he won't be able to stomach letting Gaara out of his sight for a while. One of the rare times they weren't together, and Gaara was almost attacked by some psycho. That couldn't happen again.

He's torn from his fuming when he senses a little presence coming up behind him. He turns as the child addresses him, frowning up at him.

"Sasuke?"

"Hm? You okay, Shinki?"

He nods, "Yes. But- Sasuke? Why...was Shira mad?"

Sasuke blanks for a moment. He's always a bit struck by how blunt the little boy can be. He just innocently asks whatever's on his mind. And currently he's looking up at Sasuke with wide, expectant green eyes.

He definitely learned that expression from Gaara.

Sasuke kneels to look him in the eye, unsure what to say at first. There wasn't really any way to explain it to him without confusing or worrying the little boy. Children shouldn't have to be stressed about something like this, something that was so strictly adult business. The last thing Sasuke wants is for the kids to be worried for their safety or something like that.

So instead Sasuke takes a quick second to think.

"He just...didn't understand something. But you don't worry about that. Just know that you and Sarada are safe, and I'll protect your father, okay? He's very strong, but he's not alone. You were right to come tell me that something was happening. You did very well, Shinki. I'm proud of you."

Shinki looks quietly reassured for a moment, before his little face goes red and he quickly hugs Sasuke tight before dashing off.

Sasuke feels that familiar warmth bloom in his chest. He was feeling that a lot lately.

He returns to Gaara and sits close, rubbing at the purring kitten's ear as she snuggles into the redhead.

"I guess we should...go to the medical ward tomorrow." Gaara says quietly, sounding a bit tense.

"I think so, yeah." Sasuke says, watching his face, "Is that okay?"

"Yes, I...just…Sasuke?"

"Hm?"

"Would you be disappointed if it turned out that I...couldn't give you...if I couldn't…if you're looking for...a baby, I...If I can't- it's just..." Gaara starts and stops, clearly stressed and unable to get his entire thought into the air. He takes a breath before looking away, "I really don't know if I can give you that. I'm sorry. But I...I don't know ..."

Sasuke takes in the omega's expression, the distant pain and discomfort in his gaze. Then his words catch up to him.

"Gaara, you know I don't... expect that of you, right?" Sasuke asks, "I mean, I don't-that's not what I'm looking for, I just want to be with you. I don't demand anything like that. I just thought it was the most likely scenario for why you're feeling unwell. If it turns out that you're not then that's fine too. You know that, right?"

Gaara takes a shaky breath. After a quiet moment he nods.

"I'm ready for whatever happens. And I'm here." Sasuke says, "I'm not going anywhere. Doesn't matter."

Gaara's eyes go naked and grateful for a moment, before he nods. Sasuke takes his hand, trying to press all of his reassurance into Gaara's skin, so he understands. They sit with each other quietly, petting Akumi-chan and pondering what comes next.

The cat enjoys the attention, and Sasuke notices that Gaara seems more settled, too.


Gaara throws up for the first time the next morning.