Sasuke laid on his side in his bed, his hand in Menma's lap, his son examining it like it was a specimen. Soft chubby fingers were grazing the lines on his palm, flipping it over, and squeezing his fingers so the blood rushed to the tip. It was a comforting touch by his inquisitive son.
"What do these lines mean?" Menma asked. He was gliding his finger along the plump part of his palm, near the thumb.
"My grandma told me it is called a life line." His grandmother was an immigrant who made her money by giving palm, and tarot readings. His father's mother. Quiet like the rest of them, who showed her love by feeding. She was able to see his first runway show, before passing away two months later. He doesn't remember all of her teachings, mostly how she made him feel.
"Grandma Mikoto?" He asked.
He pressed his face into his son's side, inhaling his smell. "No." A muffled reply. "My grandma, she passed away when I was five. Her name was Fuku, which means good fortune."
"Oh."
He continued to touch. "What about this line?" He touched the one going across the upper half of his palm.
"That is my heart line."
Menma touched the middle of his chest. "Right here?"
"Yes."
"I remember getting a paper cut there. Does that mean I'll die?"
Eventually.
"No." He held in a laugh at his son's very valid question. He pulled his face from his son's side. There was a blanket over them that belonged in Naruto's room. He snatched it the other day after they did some cleaning. Naruto hasn't asked for it back, even after it being blatantly out in Sasuke's room.
"Okay." Turning his hand to its side. "What does this mean?" He was touching the mound under his pinky.
"My child lines." He said. Menma's touch was making him feel sleepy again. It was early, they hadn't had breakfast yet, when Menma crawled into his bed, turning the TV on. Effectively waking Sasuke up. He knows the Uzumaki men are up and out, feeding the animals, and preparing for any lessons they are going to give.
He's surprised by how much he likes farm living. The acres are vast, making it quiet, but the Uzumaki family make up for the noises of the city. They also haven't made Sasuke work in the field, which was one of the reasons for not wanting to stay on the farm too long. He doesn't mind feeding an animal every now and again, but having that as a part of his daily routine and land upkeep sounds like a headache.
His main focus is modeling and mothering.
Naruto hasn't asked anymore of that.
"Child, like me?" Menma pointed to himself.
"Yes."
Menma looked at the line, using his fingers to tap the lines back and forth. Sasuke could hear the 'number song' they sang together being said under his breath.
"Four."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. He remembers Naruto always saying he wanted four kids, but Sasuke was adamant about Menma being his one and only. The thought of Naruto having children outside of their union sounded horrible. Date, sure, but a whole child besides Menma? Fuck no.
He knew logically people did it all the time, and kudos for them. He couldn't do it. Dealing with more than one parent sounds like a headache and disrespectful.
Neji called him crazy one day when he wanted to give Naruto a cupcake filled with radiation so he couldn't produce another child. He said it casually over coffee one morning at his home when Naruto and he had first broken up. Neji asked if he wanted more kids.
"No. "
"What about Naruto?" Neji asked a valid question.
"I will poison his sperm count, if he ever thought of using another womb beside mine." Then explained his plan.
Neji looked at him with disgust, saying to stop explaining. He didn't need the cops to question him when Sasuke went to the mental institute.
"Good job. Four is correct." He said, kissing son's exposed belly.
Menma giggled, it turning into a laughing fit when Sasuke rolled him onto his back giving him raspberries.
Soon after, Kushina called them down for breakfast.
Sasuke is at a kid's pizzeria for Shikadai's birthday. Neji invited him and Naruto because he needed backup for being in a child-filled space. Naruto is up front by the stage with the kids dancing to the animatronic songs, while Neji is held close to Shikamaru at the table. His ex-wife is sitting across from them with her new man, and from what Sasuke can see from his side of the long table, the conversation looks civil.
Shikamaru was up front with Neji about knowing that they were moving fast, but he wanted Neji to show up as eye candy to prance around the person his wife cheated on him with. Neji was game after that. His friend always looks forward for an opportunity to show he was superior to someone. Neji was a ex-neurological doctor who quit his residency to open a pressure point massage studio. He takes care of his body with Tai-chi, and he has weekly hair and skin treatments.
He's wearing one of Sasuke's more casual runway outfits from Versace and a birthday party hat on his head. Seeing Shikamaru and Neji today for the first time today has been an eye opener. For such an unconventional situation, Shikamaru is very attentive with Neji without neglecting his son. He can't see Neji's face from his position, but Shikamaru looks at Neji with genuine interest, like he's all in in a short amount of time.
He's never seen Neji's other exes like that with him. Always wanting him to tone down his success.
Not Shikamaru. It's like he has already calculated Neji and is being what he needs.
He hopes Neji doesn't get scared off.
"Yo!" Sasuke turns his head from his friend, surprise on his face at seeing Kakashi. The older man sits down across from him.
"Hi." Sasuke squints his eyes, confused at seeing Kakashi here.
He jerks his hand toward a man with an unlit cigarette in his mouth talking to Shikamaru. "My husband, Asuma, is Shikamaru's mentor."
"A lawyer?"
"Judge actually."
He was about to let it go until he remembered something. "That wasn't the husband I met last time."
He shrugs. "Omegas with more than one Alpha aren't always taken well, unlike the opposite."Kakashi picks up a slice of pizza. "I know it's better nowadays for people like me, but I'm from a different generation where it was taboo." He pulls down his mask. Sasuke is amazed at the beautiful jawline Kakashi was hiding.
Letting Kakashi eat, he looks over at the other table, seeing Shukaku, Gaara and Lee with their kids. They always talked about having a sister married to a lawyer, but their communication with their nephew was limited at times since they were twin Alphas sharing an omega. The invitation was extended by Shikamaru today.
Swallowing his slice. "It's good, I've seen you today." He begins. "We caught your stalker." He places his half-eaten slice on the paper plate. Wiping his hands on a napkin, he brings his phone out.
"How?" The relief to go back home.
Scratching the inside of his ear. "Yeah. When I went to your house to get the items he gave you, I talked to Asuma. His fingerprints were matched and apparently this guy is a cameraman. Works for the local news." Turning his phone around to show Sasuke.
It was the guy.
Kakashi lays it on the table. "He's mute, but highly technological. He has no criminal record, and when we talked to him, with an interpreter, he said he meant you no harm. Just wanted a chance with you since you seemed neglected."
"How would he know that?" He said with exacerbation. He glances off to the side for a moment, checking on Menma, who had stopped dancing. Naruto was holding him up in front of a whack a mole machine.
"I don't know, I'm just the messenger. I can say he has a true disdain for Naruto. Guess he posted some videos of Naruto talking with Emma, that anchor woman, that was taken way out of context."
Sasuke remembers seeing Naruto's interview with Emma. He doesn't know how that could have been taken any other way, but people talking about horses.
Sasuke didn't know how to feel. He closed his eyes and sighed, cupping the bottom half of his face with both hands. "What now?" Was his muffled response.
"You can press charges. He's lost his job, and he has a broken hand."
Sasuke dropped one hand to the table, using the other to pinch the bridge of his nose. "How did he break his hand?"
"We'll say family."
Family. He silently mouths to himself.
Rolling his eyes, he slides the phone back to Kakashi. "Words cannot express how thankful I am to you and." He exhales. " Family. "
He's grateful that Kakashi can read through his irritation to know he's really grateful. All of this was a lot.
The gray haired man gave him a thumbs up. "I said, I'd take care of it and I did." He picks his slice back up. "Oh, tomorrow, we're going to France. There is a television show that wants you to make a cameo."
"Ah, I was hoping to go home and clean." Though it has been a while since he's been to France.
"I see life on the farm has made you domestic." Observes Kakashi.
He shakes his head. "No, I've always been a clean freak. That's why I've always avoided the farm." He scrunches his nose in thought. "Well one of the reasons."
"And now?"
"Now what?"
"How's farm living, cowboy?" He finishes his slice.
He decides to be honest. "More than what I ever could have imagined." The three weeks there, he had gotten closer to Kushina. His mother visited, and the three of them cooked and rode four wheeler.
He got to know a few of the workers, and understood it wasn't just the two of the Uzumaki men doing all of the heavy lifting. That Naruto was just a workaholic. Sasuke was too, but it was nice to pull Naruto from the barn and make him relax with him and Menma.
They were cozy.
The last couple of days, Naruto has been whispering on the phone to someone, which has been making him concerned. He was opening himself up more to the possibility of living on the farm, but he doesn't know if Naruto has liked him there, throwing his routine off.
They haven't spent a day apart since he's lived there.
France would be good.
A reprieve to get back into the mindset of co-parenting.
"Mama." Turning in his seat, he sees Menma and Naruto standing next to him. He helps Menma on the dining bench, with Naruto sitting on the other side of him.
Naruto had his legs on either side of the bench, with Sasuke sitting the proper way. Naruto drags Sasuke by his hips, closer to him. "We've missed you." Naruto says into his ear with Menma hugging Sasuke stomach. Looking up at him with pleading eyes.
"It's been an hour." Sasuke hoped he sounded annoyed, but knew his affection was shown through when Naruto grinned at him.
"Menma, Mama doesn't love us." Poking his lip out with false bravo.
"Mama." His son whimpered, making his hold tighter on Sasuke's shirt.
Kami…..and the universe thought he should have three more people like this.
So needy.
Menma laid a sloppy kiss on Sasuke's arm. "I love you, Mama."
Fuck.
"Okay, okay." He hissed.
Naruto beamed. He stood up, taking Sasuke along with him, the Alpha guides his small family to another germ filled machine.
If asked, Kakashi would say Sasuke is most photogenic when joyful.
Naruto knocks on Sasuke's door frame. The omega looks up from his suitcase with a tilt of his head, allowing the Alpha inside. He sat on the floor folding.
Snapping his fingers. "What's going on?" He asked.
Menma was asleep in his room. The party wore the young boy out, among the new friends he made. At the party, Naruto took Shikamaru's phone number, feeling good about their sons being friends together.
He hoped things worked out between him and Neji. They complimented each other.
"My stalker is gone." Sasuke folded up a pair of sleep pants. Placing them in the corner of the suitcase.
"Oh." He stopped snapping. "You're just going to leave?"
"Oh this. No, no." He trailed off. "I –uh, I have to leave tomorrow for France. I can't think about going home right now. Maybe…maybe when I come back."
Naruto's shoulders sagged. "Yeah, maybe." He was biting the inside of his lip.
"Naruto."
His eyes widened. Perking up at his name. "Yes?"
Sasuke paused his action. He pursued his lips. "Thank you." He said. "Thank you for everything." He closes his eyes, as if he was saying a prayer. "I truly want the best for you because you are a remarkable person."
Naruto sat down on the floor with Sasuke, pushing the suitcase out of the omega's reach. "Sas." He cupped Sasuke's face. "You're the remarkable one." Sasuke placed his hand on top of Naruto's.
Their eyes met.
Then their lips.
A sweet dance of buildup that's been daring to break. Exploding outward, into each other's senses. Sasuke's soft lips aligned with Naruto's, creating sweet friction. It was magical. A dream.
A home.
Choking a sob, Sasuke pulled back.
"So you can cry?" Said Naruto, keeping his hand on Sasuke's face.
A laugh punched out of Sasuke, along with more tears. "Shut up."
"No." He said. He was frowning. "I can't do that anymore."
Sasuke was facing the floor, holding himself. The warmth of Naruto's hand was becoming too much.
"Sasuke, we can't keep doing this."
Sasuke slapped his hand away. He stood up, shaking his hand as he walked to the window. Using the palm of his hand, he wiped the tears from one eye. "Okay." He croaked out.
Naruto stayed on the floor looking up at him. "Okay."
Sasuke couldn't stand the sight of him, but he was to blame for this as well. Naruto has tried countless times to get back together. It was all on him for this failing. He took too fucking long to get some damn confidence about himself to be with the man.
Never taking a chance on farm life.
He wouldn't take Menma away from Naruto. Never. But he needed space.
"Can you please leave?"
Naruto was shocked by those words. "What?"
"Leave." More force that time.
"No!" He reached into his pocket, taking the item that has been heavily criticized out. "I said we're not doing this anymore, and I mean it."
A ring box.
Sasuke gasped, a hand coming to cover his mouth.
He knew that ring box.
It was his Grandmother's. She lost her wedding ring when she and his grandfather first immigrated. The ring box was safe in his Father's diaper bag at the time.
His family knew all this time?
"You're going to marry me, Sasuke Uchiha."
Sasuke let out a wet laugh, clasping his hands together in front of him. "Who proposes like that?" A snort came out of him.
"I can't keep asking you. I've been rejected too much. I am telling you." Naruto opened the box. A beautiful ruby stone with diamonds and a silver band met his eyes. It was more than what he could imagine.
Naruto was breathing hard, Sasuke was silently staring at the ring. "Your family helped a lot. My uh." He gathered the saliva in his mouth. "My mom and your mom hate the first ring I got, It took a long time for all of us to settle on this."
"Naruto." He said breathlessly.
"I um–shit, I was going to have us go to the court house tomorrow, but that's delayed. I see." His eyes shifted to the suitcase.
"I'm sorry." He said. His eyes, watering again.
Naruto was smiling now. "It's okay." He got up to his knees scooting closer to Sasuke. Taking his hand into his own. He slid the ring onto Sasuke's finger, giving it a kiss. "We will get married, the day you get back."
Naruto stood up, holding Sasuke as he cried. Sasuke held his newly ringed hand close to his heart while in Naruto's embrace. "I'll be nasty from the plane."
"Doesn't matter."
"Don't trust me?"
"Nope."
Fair.
Tilting his head up, Sasuke cupped Naruto's face. "I do want to be with you." He gave a chaste kiss. "Thank you for asking me." He whispered.
"Technically, I didn't."
He playfully pushed at Naruto's face with an eye roll. His fiance's foolish antics. "Well I'll tell people you did."
"That's fine." Naruto kissed Sasuke's nose. "As long as I have you."
"Forever, otherwise, I'd poison you." Sasuke said happily. Amused by Naruto's frown.
"Sas." He questioned, but the thought was lost when he was pushed to the bed.
He watched Sasuke begin to strip. "I want to feel you the whole time I'm in France." With one more tugged of his sock, he was completely naked. "Don't disappoint me." He purred.
Naruto and Menma were there waiting for Sasuke at the airport. Another man was standing with Naruto, Kakashi's other husband. They said they just started chatting at the airport before realizing they were waiting for the same flight and then technically the same people.
Sasuke brought up the idea of eating first, but Naruto had tunnel vision on getting to the court house.
Parking was free.
They spent an hour waiting, watching other couples get married. Clapping along when appropriate. Menma wondered why he was the only child there?
He debates telling Menma in the future that he was the product of a booty call.
It's their turn.
He's holding Naruto's hands, with Menma holding onto his Daddy's back like a monkey.
Before the officiant can speak. "Yes, yes, yes. Speed it up." Naruto says. Giddy as can be.
The officiant side eyes him. "Okay. Mr, Sasuke Uchiha." She clears her throat. "Do you take this man, and this boy?" Pointing to a smiling Menma. "Forever in your days until the breath is taken from your Godly souls?"
He can't think of any other answer.
"I do."
At their actual wedding six months later, Neji proudly boasted about getting them together, during the speaking portion. Shikamaru is there with him, covertly telling the bartender to water down his partner's drinks.
Sakura tells stories how she knows the both of them, crying when she thinks of losing her best friend to Naruto, which causes an outrage Ino to stand up in the crowd. Sai kept them from fighting, but they're normal again when their favorite song comes on. Dancing sensually, and drunkenly.
Shukaku talks about Naruto being hung like a horse for the reason Naruto knows horses so well. The clip went viral, which increases business at their clinic.
God bless Lee, for being the normal one, and saying something nice.
Gaara refuses to dance until his daughters ask him.
Jiraya was drunk when he told Naruto and Sasuke at their table that Mikoto had a threesome with Naruto's parents.
Sasuke was more shocked that Naruto knew.
When Itachi got the mic, he mostly talked about Sasuke, and how great he is. Fugaku had to take the mic from him. His Father gave them a short congratulations.
Kakashi gets the mic. "Hello, everyone." He has black suit and mask. "I am Kakashi, Sasuke's manager." The crowd greets him back. "So, I haven't known Sasuke long, and Naruto even less, but they have true love." The crowd coos. "There was an incident a while back, and I've never seen an Alpha more ready to protect his Omega. I remember talking to Itachi about it, and was shocked when I was told Sasuke would be safer and happier at Naruto's while we dealt with it." He clears his throat. "LIke we've all seen the Uchiha estate, shit's huge man." The crowd agrees. "So when I saw the ranch, I didn't get it. Then." He looks at Naruto and Sasuke holding hands at their wedding table.
"I get it." Then back to the crowd. "They love each other desperately. Wholly. Truly. I uh— I uh have two Alphas, you see. And it was hard to get there, but we were desperate to make it work, and we have for 20 years." The crowd cheers. "Thank you, and that's how I know they'll be okay. They understand the work of marriage, and raising kids. I only have dogs, so human kids are outside my zone."
The crowd laughs. "But I'm happy to know the both of you. Thank you for allowing me to witness your love, and I pray to be there even after retirement." The room exploded into cheer.
Sasuke and Naruto mouth thank you to Kakashi, who bows back.
Sasuke's parents take Menma for the night after the wedding ends. Naruto and he head to their hotel room, excited off the high of getting married, and to get out of those traditional wedding attire.
Once he's in his nightshirt, Sasuke falls face first into the lush bed. He gathers the comforter into a makeshift pillow under him, resting his head with a sigh. "Naruto." He groans.
Naruto turns the lights off, letting a random movie play on the television. "Baby." Naruto lies on top of him. He presses his nose to Sasuke's temple, directing his head to the side, so he can have access to his neck. He licks over the mate mark.
"Naruto." He says with a sigh of pleasure this time.
Naruto gathers his husband in his arms. "I want to fuck you so bad, but if I move wrong I might throw up." He continues to lick.
"Then you lay on me while saying this."
"In sickness and in health, baby."
Sasuke turns his head to the side, blocking Naruto from his neck. His Alpha rests his cheek on top of his. "We're married, Nar."
Naruto rocks them. "Yeah. Have been for six months."
"But that was a secret. Now, it's public."
Naruto stops his motion. "What are you worried about?"
"I just want you to be safe. I don't want you to ever get hurt because of me." He yelps when Naruto bites his cheek. "Nar."
"Sas." Naruto licks it in apology. "Sas, we're married. If I get hurt, I go to the hospital. If I'm stalked, I call up Jiraiya, if I die, you better not have another man's kid because I will haunt you, but besides that, you have so much support."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because sometimes it's good to think about the worst thing, and how you might react to it. The scenarios in your brain won't ever match reality."
Sasuke turns over on his back, wrapping his arms around Naruto's neck. "So you won't make me the happiest Omega in the world?"
Naruto kisses him. "Fuck no." He whispers against his lips. Sasuke doesn't know if he should laugh or push Naruto off of him.
"I'm here to make you the happiest person in our home. In this hotel room, on the walks in the park, at the parent-teacher conferences with Menma." He nuzzles their noses together. "You're my world."
A sob escapes him. "You're my world too."
Naruto was a mess during their vow ceremony. A single tear runs down his Alpha's face onto Sasuke's cheek. "I love you." Said Naruto.
Even if he lost a leg, lost his model looks, or couldn't speak, he knew Naruto would be there.
"I love you too."
Every day would be a new beginning, the sands of time wouldn't get them.
Their love had no expiration date.
