A/N: So, I had this chapter completed like in October of last year on the 31st. At least, that was the date I saw on my file as the last time I opened it. Apparently, I just forgot to post it. Sorry!

Chapter 19 is here, but 20...I've written part of it a couple months back, but stopped because I was having a writer's block despite having this whole fanfic already plotted out in detail. I'm still struggling with it a little, so it might take some time again. I'm a very slow updater, so I apologize if it takes a few months or a year or so to get things going again.

Chapter Nineteen

Two days had passed since then. Everything was starting to settle again. His parents had left the day after despite Iruka insisting to stay to take care of him, but fortunately, Sasuke had taken a few days off to watch over him. And now with his parents gone and the children in school, it was just him and Sasuke. He was relaxing, laying down on the sofa with his head on Sasuke's lap as his lover tenderly carded his fingers through his hair, careful not to touch his stitches. It was peaceful until the doorbell interrupted. Blinking, Naruto lifted his head slightly. He looked back to Sasuke who shrugged, unsure who would be visiting them. There was still a few minutes before the children came back from school and even if they did, they didn't need to ring the doorbell since they had the key. Confused, Naruto sat up, letting Sasuke get up to open the door.

He watched curiously and was surprised when Sasuke opened the door to reveal Hiashi standing there. Rising to his feet, he walked to the door and welcomed his father-in-law inside. The older man entered silently, then waited for them. The three stood awkwardly in silence until Sasuke offered him to get them some tea. His words pushed Naruto into action. Smiling sheepishly, he led Hiashi to sit down. Sasuke returned a few minutes later with three steaming cups of tea. He set each one down on the coffee table, then moved to sit next to Naruto. Again, silence enveloped him. Naruto flicked his gaze to Sasuke. His lover stoically blinked back at him. Taking a breath, Naruto looked back to Hiashi. "So, what brings you here?" he asked.

Hiashi took a sip of the tea, then faltered at the question. He set the cup back down and adjusted himself in the seat. He looked around the apartment again, as if taking the scenery into more details. His scrutiny made Naruto squirm in his seat. Despite the two of them talking it out last time, they didn't really have time to talk more afterward, so things were still uncomfortable between them. The close inspection Hiashi was doing to his home made him think the older man was mentally criticizing him. Finally, his pale eyes landed on him again. Stern features stared blankly at him, then his eyebrows lifted into what Naruto believed was suppose to be a gentler expression.

"Have you two found a place yet?" he asked.

Naruto shook his head. Where is this conversation going? Because of the accident, he and Sasuke didn't really talk about finding a new place. Sasuke chalked it up to not wanting him to stress out since he was still recovering. Unbeknownst to Sasuke, Naruto was still concern. Three months didn't leave them with a lot of time and they barely got anything packed. They did inform the children, but with school and club, all three kids didn't even have time to pack either. While he was happy these past two days since he got to spend time with Sasuke, nevertheless stress was slowly building. Not to mention, he hadn't told anyone about the tumor or surgery yet.

"Hmm," Hiashi hummed thoughtfully, "then I want to show you guys a place. The children should come with us."

"Eh?" Naruto raised his brows. "Show us...a place?"

"Yes. It's not too far from here."

"Oh...alright..." Naruto tilted his head, dragging his eyes back to Sasuke. Again, his lover remained stoic. Sasuke lifted a shoulder with a small nod, agreeing to Hiashi's suggestion.

The conversation ended there and right at the perfect time as the front door opened and the children's voice announced they were home. Sasuke stood to greet them. Himawari rushed passed Sasuke after giving him a hug, but skidded to a stop when she saw Hiashi. His daughter stared, then slowly started walking again. She walked over to Naruto and hugged his side. Shyly, she greeted Hiashi. Boruto and Sarada were last to appear. The two older kids politely greeted Hiashi as well, but remained where they stood.

"Well then, shall we go?" Hiashi asked.

"Go where?" Boruto asked.

"Your grandpa has a place he wants to show us. He said we can all go," Naruto said. "Alright, go put your shoes back on. We'll all head out."

Everyone slowly started moving again. Since the children were already dressed, only needing to put their shoes back on, he and Sasuke were the ones who kept them waiting. But they dressed quickly and soon all of them were sitting in a large van. Hiashi sat in the front passenger seat while a man dressed in a suit sat in the driver's seat. The ride wasn't too long, taking a mere thirty minutes. They drove onto the driveway of a large property. It wasn't a mansion, but the house had two floors. Although the driveway wasn't gated, the rest of the building property was fenced. Unlike some of the houses around it, this one had a large yard. There were neatly trimmed shrubs against the sides of the house and a few bushes of flowers. It was a really nice looking house and Naruto was already falling in love with it.

Hiashi led them inside the building. The children all gasped, then squealed as they started running through the spacious house. There wasn't any furniture yet, but the place big. The entry way led to a large living room space. The wide windows allowed a beautiful, natural lighting. Straight ahead was the dining room and kitchen. Off to the side was an empty room with tatami flooring. There was a set of stairs when they first entered, leading to the second floor. Naruto slowly took the steps up, then paused at the top where his breath caught for a second time since entering the house. Upstairs was another living space. There was a hallway to his left, leading to the rooms. In total, there was five rooms and two bathrooms—a rarity since most Japanese houses only had one bathroom. One bathroom in the hallway and another in one of the larger rooms. Naruto walked back to the living space on the second floor. Windows lined two side of the walls along with a sliding door which entered to the balcony. He stepped out onto the balcony and heard the laughter of the children below. He walked to the edge and saw a large backyard with a tree for some shade. Sasuke was standing near the porch, watching the kids run around excitedly. Naruto smiled. The house was beautiful. Too beautiful. The cost must be high and as much as he hate admitting it, he didn't think the salary he was making would be able afford such a place, even with Sasuke's share.

"Do you like it?" Hiashi asked from behind him.

He startled slightly, unaware of Hiashi's approach. Turning, he smiled. "It's great…but..." He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think Sasuke and I can afford it. I mean...it's so spacious. There's even a driveway for a car that we don't even have."

Hiashi hummed again. For moment, he stood quietly, his eyes staring into the distant. And then he moved, slowly walking toward Naruto. Hiashi stopped next to him, his eyes casting down below to watch the children too. "This place is all yours. It's been paid for already."

"What?" Naruto asked. His eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean it's been paid for?"

"I bought it...and decided to put it under your name. The house is yours. Consider it a late wedding gift."

"I...I…" Flabbergasted, Naruto struggled with his words. Shaking his head furiously, he finally said, "I can't accept this. Hiashi, you don't have to offer me a house. You, trying to be in the kids' life, is enough."

"I want to do more. I've missed so much already and honestly, you two only have three months to look for a place. And I know you don't want to transfer the children out of the school. There's not much time for you guys and you're still recovering, so you can't really help in looking for a place. Please…" Hiashi turned toward him. "please...this is the only way I know how to help. I also want what's best for the children."

Naruto didn't know what to say. Giving him a house, paid and everything, really was too much. Hesitantly, he looked around the area once more. It really was a nice house. Biting his lower lip, he sighed. "Let me talk to Sasuke first."

"Alright."

He headed back down the stairs with Hiashi following behind him. He found Sasuke in the same place he saw earlier and tugged on his arm. His lover glanced to him. His face was passive, but his eyes were curious, almost wary since Hiashi was still standing behind him. He smiled, hoping to soothe his worries. He pulled Sasuke away, asking to talk to him alone. Hiashi nodded and left them be to go watch the kids. Alone in the kitchen, with a window view into the backyard, Naruto squeezed Sasuke's hand. "So...what do you think?" he asked.

"It's...nice," Sasuke replied.

"Almost too nice."

"Yes...Naruto...it's a really good place. The neighborhood looks good, the house is big...there's even a yard and backyard. You can get a dog if you want, but...we can't afford this."

"I know...but you see...it's already ours."

Sasuke blinked. His brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Naruto's lips fluttered into a weak smile. "Hiashi bought the house...and put it under my name. In other words, the house is ours."

His lover stood in silence. Slowly, his gaze drifted back to the yard and stopped on Hiashi. "Why?"

"He said he wanted to do more...and that he also wanted what was best for the kids."

"There has to be a catch."

"I don't know. He really seemed sincere about it."

Sasuke's head whipped back in his direction. He flinched a bit, but kept his gaze steady. "What do you want?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto leaned against the granite counter top. Sighing, he placed a hand against the cold surface as his gaze dropped to stare at the white and gray marble design. "I really want this place. Just imagine the kids growing up here. They'll each have their own room. There's even an extra one for guests. My parents can visit and not take up our room. There's even a tatami room. We can put Hinata's and Sakura's shrine there." Looking up, he smiled wobbly at Sasuke. "I already love it."

They remained there, just looking at one another. And then Sasuke lifted his hand and covered his with a soft grip. His lover nodded his head. "Okay. Then this place is ours."

Relief flooded him. He leaned in, kissing Sasuke quickly. To his surprise, Sasuke returned the kiss. Sighing into it, Naruto let himself be swept up. It wasn't more than a simple kiss of lips meeting lips, but as simple as it was, it made Naruto happy. Pulling away, he grinned stupidly. He was truly fortunate right now. Hand in hand, they walked back to the porch. Hiashi turned toward them and Naruto announced that he and Sasuke were going to take the house. The kids overheard, but didn't believe it as first. However, with Naruto's insistence and Sasuke nodding his head, the children cheered excitedly. They talked over one another, but was soon running back inside because Naruto mentioned there was enough rooms for them to each have their own. Laughing, he watched them go, then turned back to Hiashi. He was a little surprise to see a smile on Hiashi's face. It softened his facial features by a lot. Releasing Sasuke's hand, he stepped forward to his father-in-law. He didn't think a hug was quite right yet, so he held out his hand instead. Hiashi glanced down at it briefly, then shook it.

Smiling, he said, "Thank you, Hiashi."

"It was no problem." Hiashi released his hand, then continued, "Seeing the smile on the kids' faces was enough. Now then, let me arrange for moving trucks and people to help move the furniture."

"Oh, you don't have to do that too!"

"Let me finish it to the end. Besides, you need to recover, so moving heavy furniture is out of the question for you."

"Ah...um...thanks." Naruto sighed with a smile. His father-in-law was still stubborn. As Hiashi left to make arrangements, he and Sasuke sat down on the porch side by side. They stared out into the backyard. A soft breeze rustled the trees and a few yellow-orange leaves drifted downward. Naruto leaned into Sasuke, sighing at the sight. This really was going to be their home now. Snickering, he asked Sasuke, "If we do get a dog, where should we put the dog house."

"Hmm, over there." Sasuke nodded to an area near the tree. It was under the shade.

Naruto hummed. "That's a nice place. You know, I always see those photos with swings hanging on the tree. We should make one too. The tree looks sturdy enough. I think Himawari and Sarada would like it."

"Mmm, I think so too."

He sighed again as he laced their hands together once more. There was a calming breeze, cool to the touch and sent a chill in the air. Fall was here. Closing his eyes, he could see himself and Sasuke wrapped in a blanket, enjoying hot tea and cuddling. But then his imagination scrambled to an image of him in the hospital. Eyes fluttering open, he squeezed Sasuke's hand. Right...He still needed to tell Sasuke about the tumor and the surgery. After all, the appointment was for next week and it wasn't like he could just go without letting anyone know. Biting his inner cheek, he rubbed his head against Sasuke's shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked, amusement weaved in his tone.

"Mmm...I...have something important to tell you," Naruto said as he lifted his head and moved away so they could look at each other.

Sasuke tilted his head, waiting patiently. Naruto stared. Sasuke was handsome. He was truly lucky to have the attention of such a handsome man. His lips were perfectly sized to fit his face, not too thin and not too plump. Just perfect for their lips to latch on and slot together as if they were meant to fit. His eyebrows were thin over nicely shaped almond eyes. Although his hair covered a side of his face, when brushed aside, it revealed the other beautiful dark eye. He had a nice angular jaw and high cheekbones. Sasuke was also fit. Behind those clothes that tended to hide everything, Sasuke was well toned. He could be a model if he wanted.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked when he didn't say anything.

Blushing, Naruto chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry, I couldn't help but stare. You're too handsome."

Sasuke blinked. He turned his head slightly to side as his cheeks colored. "Idiot."

"Sasuke..." Naruto started. Took a deep breath as he took Sasuke's other hand and gripped it tightly too. "I...when I was in the hospital, I was told something very important." When Sasuke didn't say anything, he continued. "That is...you see..." His eyes darted, looking anywhere else, but Sasuke's face. He didn't know how to say this. Biting his lower lip, he sucked in another breath. He just needed to get it done and over with like ripping off a band-aid or something. "I was told that I have a tumor growing at the base of my skull."

Silence. Absolute silence until a harsh wind rushed by. The boughs of the trees rustled loudly as if wallowing. Naruto's heart clenched. Saying the words out loud made it feel so much more real. He didn't want that. He didn't want his happiness cut so short. So what if the doctor suspected it was a meningioma. The doctor was only assuming, but he wasn't sure until the surgery took place. What if...what if it really was cancerous? Naruto squeezed his eyes shut. His breath picked up as his heart thumped anxiously. He didn't realize he was panicking until Sasuke was cupping his face and trying to get him to breath slowly. He gulped a few large breaths, then started following Sasuke's voice. In...out…Naruto calmed. Suddenly, he let out a sob. Immediately, Sasuke hugged him, wrapping him into his strong, warm arms. He gripped tightly onto Sasuke's shirt.

"They say they need to do a biopsy to see if it's cancerous. I agreed to the surgery for next week...but Sasuke...what if it is? What if I'm not meant to have a semblance of happiness?" His voice choked. "I'm scared."

Sasuke ran his fingers through his hair soothingly, rocking him back and forth until his sobs dwindled. Sighing, he wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist, burying his face into the crook of Sasuke's neck. He felt emotionally drained. Exhaustion took hold of his body. He slumped forward, letting his body weight to be held by Sasuke. He wanted nothing more than to just lay down in his lover's arms and let the warmth envelope him into a dreamless sleep.

"I'll be there for you," Sasuke said, "...I won't let you be alone for this."

"Un..." Naruto muttered. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize. It doesn't matter what the news will be, I'm going to be by your side."

"...don't tell the kids yet. We'll let them know once we get the results of the biopsy."

"Then how are we suppose to tell them about the surgery?"

"Just say...it's a check up for my head injury."

Sasuke sighed as he pulled away. He cupped Naruto's cheek. "A surgery isn't something small. It's not something we can hide."

Naruto let out a shuddering breath. He knew that, but the thought of letting his children know about the tumor scared him. He shook his head gently. "I don't want to put Boruto and Himawari through this again."

"We don't know if it's cancerous yet. And it will be worst if we hide it from the children."

Conflicting emotions clashed within him. Squeezing his eyes, he bit his lower lip. The children didn't deserve this. They didn't deserve having to go through the pain of seeing another parent suffer. However, Sasuke did make a point. The tumor still needed to be confirmed if it was malignant or benign. There was still a chance that it wasn't going to be cancerous. He balled his hands into fists. Finally open his eyes again, he nodded his head. He couldn't hide this from the children too. They wouldn't be too happy if they found out another way.

Together, they stood and decided the news shouldn't wait. They walked up the stairs, finding the children gathered in the second living area. They sat in a small circle, chatting and laughing. As they approached them, Naruto heard the footsteps of Hiashi climbing the stairs as well. He took another breath. Hiashi also deserved to know. He waited till his father-in-law joined them, then told them he had something important to say. Sasuke stood by his side, taking his hand and giving it a comforting squeeze. Smiling at him, Naruto continued. "When I was in the hospital, the doctor told me that I had a tumor at the base of my skull. They don't know if it's cancerous yet, but I will be going through surgery next week so they can remove it and check."

When Naruto glanced down to the children. Boruto and Himawari both looked scared. His heart swelled in pain at the sight of the expression on his children face. He knelt down, bringing them into his arms. He felt small quakes shivering through their bodies and held on tighter. Smiling, he said, "It's going to be okay. The doctor said that most of the time, with tumors in that area, tend to be non-cancerous. It will be okay."

Despite his assurance, hot tears stained his shirt. Naruto felt horrible, but he had to be strong for them right now. A small tug on his sleeve bought his attention to the side. Sarada stood beside him too. There was a haunted look in her eyes. Ah...because we're all family and she already...Smiling, he brought her into the hug as well. He squeezed tightly, once again telling them everything will be alright. He released them eventually, then stood to face Hiashi. His father-in-law remained quiet through the whole process.

"If..." Hiashi started slowly, "if it is, let me know. I will do whatever I can to find the best hospital care and find the most recent research on cancer treatment to treat you."

"Thank you," Naruto said gratefully.

Afterward, they all returned back to the apartment complex. Hiashi let them know the movers would be available anytime they were ready. Naruto wanted to postpone it, but Sasuke agreed to have the movers there within two weeks. Once everything was arranged, Hiashi left. The children got into bed while Sasuke and Naruto lounged in their bed. Their hands remained interlace as they lay side by side.

"Two weeks is short. And I have the surgery," Naruto said.

"Biopsy results usually take two to three days right?" Sasuke asked.

"Depending on how complicated...it can take up to two weeks."

"Hm. I want you to be able to recover at our new home when you're released from the hospital. It could take weeks before you feel better and I want you to be comfortable. Don't worry about packing. You can leave that to me and the kids. You should also call your parents. I think they wouldn't mind coming by again to help out. You're going to have to tell them anyways. I'm going to have to go back to work, but I want you to be well taken care of while I'm gone."

"I'm not an invalid," Naruto grumbled.

Sasuke huffed, rolling his eyes. "It's going to be hard. A brain surgery isn't something to be taken lightly."

"I know." Naruto sighed. He was already feeling the frustration. Rolling to his side, he tangled his feet with Sasuke's. "I'll call my parents tomorrow. For now, let's just sleep. I'm so tired. So much has happened."

"Mmm..." Sasuke agreed.

Turning off the lights, they shifted around in bed until he was cuddled in Sasuke's arms once more. He drifted to sleep, comforted by the soft lullaby of Sasuke's even breathing. Even knowing the surgery was next week, all the fears he had slipped away. He needed to be positive, not only for himself, but also for those around him. He would take on this surgery with a bright grin.

By the time Iruka and Kakashi came by to stay with him, Sasuke had to return to work. Naruto was sadden to see him go. After all, they spent the last three days together mostly to themselves. He waved him off before turning to his parents. Iruka pulled him into a tight embrace which he returned with just as much force. Kakashi moved to wrap an arm around him too. The three of them stayed like that for a few minutes longer until Iruka ushered him to sit down and relax. Naruto did as he was told.

Sitting down, he watched as his parents maneuver around the apartment, packing away certain things into brown cardboard boxes—not all of it had to pack as the movers would be doing most of the work. He delegated from the sidelines, but eventually Kakashi got annoyed and told him to quiet down.

"Iruka and I know what we're doing. Who do you think helped you packed before moving here?" Kakashi asked with a raised.

"Er, right. Sorry," Naruto said sheepishly.

His father sighed frustratingly, then resumed packing things away. Naruto leaned back into the couch and was left to watch on. He twiddle with his thumbs, quickly becoming bored. He needed to do something, anything! Groaning, he flopped his head back. He was going to hate this. Being told to just sit or lay down while everyone else did everything would make things too boring. His mind wandered over to the surgery, but he swiftly brushed the thought aside. Then he started to think about Sasuke's apartment. Who was going to pack his things? They already decided that they were keeping both his and Sasuke's bed. His bed was going to belong to them while Sasuke's bed was going to the guest room. But what about the rest of the furniture. He and Sasuke never got to discussing that part.

Soon, he started whining, complaining that there was nothing to do. Iruka told him to watch something, but even as he flipped through the channel, there was nothing to watch. So his dad kept him quiet by making him some snacks to munch on. But even that could only last so long. He lounged on the sofa, groaning to himself until he heard the doorbell. He sat up immediately, excited to get up, even if it was just walking to the door. Hurrying, he opened it.

Hanabi smiled in greeting. "Hey! Thought you would need another pair of hands to help pack. I heard from dad that you guys chose to move into the house he picked."

"Yeah." Naruto nodded as he stepped aside and let her inside. "Thanks for coming."

"No problem."

Inside the apartment, Hanabi took off her shoes and greeted both Iruka and Kakashi. She quickly offered to help them and soon the three of them were working together. Naruto settled back on the couch, once again falling into boredom. Another ten minutes pass—painstakingly slow. Resting his cheek against the palm of his hand, he picked up the remote and flicked the television back on. He chose a random channel, watching a documentary on penguins. The voice droned on until a dip on the couch distracted him. He glanced over to see Hanabi sitting beside him with a glass of water.

"So...I heard from dad about the surgery," she said softly.

"Ah..." Naruto sat up straighter. He rubbed the back of his neck slowly. "Yeah..."

"If you need anything, just let me know."

"Thanks…" He smiled at his sister-in-law. The two of them went through a lot when Hinata was diagnosed with stage four cervical cancer. When he wasn't there to take care of her, Hanabi took his place. When Hinata passed, she was there to help arrange the funeral when he was too devastated to do anything. She even watched the children while he wallowed in his misery. She was patient with him, despite the fact that she lost her sister; although he was sure she was coping in her own way since she was often distracting herself by taking care of the children and working constantly. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't done much in return for everything she did. He owed her a lot.

Hanabi smiled back. "I'm glad you found someone too."

"Oh. Uh, that...I—" Naruto blushed. He hadn't mentioned to Hanabi who Sasuke was, but considering how the two of them acted around her, he wasn't surprise she knew. He scratched his cheek and chuckled nervously. "Just so you know, I never looked at any men while I was with Hinata."

"Oh, I'm sure. You were really devoted to her."

"...You're...okay with it?"

"Hm? Should I care? As long as he treats the kids well, then I'm okay with it. Besides, Boruto and Himawari seem to like him a lot. If they do, must mean he's a good guy. Not to mention, he's pleasing to look at despite being a dad too."

"Hanabi!"

Laughing, she got up and went back to helping his parents while he continued to flush in embarrassment. Naruto rubbed his face, wondering how he was going to tell Sasuke about Hanabi. If his lover was bothered by any of this, he didn't indicate anything that he was. Even so, he wanted to check with Sasuke.

The days passed by in the same manner. Gaara had stopped by to check in on him and eventually found out about his tumor too. To his surprise, his red hair neighbor slung an arm around him and hugged him. Like Hanabi, he offered to help out if he needed anything and even started to help pack his things too.

Teuchi and Ayame also stopped by after learning what happened. Naruto felt awful for taking such a long time off of work, but Teuchi was completely fine with it, telling him that his recovery meant more than having him work. Since he was around, Teuchi and Iruka caught up on what was currently going on in their lives. Naruto nearly forgot they knew each other. Ayame eventually joined in on the packing, immediately befriending Hanabi. Soon, his apartment was nearly empty. Sasuke had been slowly working on his apartment too, so when there wasn't much left to pack at Naruto's place, Hanabi and the children went over to help him out.

By the time everything was mostly cleaned out, a week had passed and the day of his surgery was upon him. Naruto lay on the hospital bed dressed in the hospital gown as he stared up at the ceiling. The nurses rolled him out of the room slowly. Anticipation built up inside him as they rolled him down the hallway. Before they entered the surgery room, he caught sight of Sasuke. Without words, Sasuke reached out and gave his hand a squeeze. A smile fluttered across Naruto's face at the small gesture. He closed his eyes and readied himself for the surgery as they wheeled him in for the operation.