A/N: First of all, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed, followed, and added this story to their favourites, those who liked the story, and even those who didn't. I appreciate all the comments, and I dedicate this next chapter to all of you. Second, I would like to apologize if the first chapter left you with a lot of questions. I hope that this one holds some, if not all, of the answers you are looking for.
I've done some editing on chapter one- mostly grammar errors, but I did change the son's name from Minato to Menma. I think it suits him better. I also removed the 'Oneshot' tag at the summary.
Many thanks!
6-6-14: I did some changes regarding the blood type. Thanks to phone and especially to Flameraven1 for helping me out. Pls see footnote for details.
She casually inserted the key into the keyhole and pushed the huge door open.
"I'm home." She said in a low voice. She took off her shoes and hung her coat behind the door as her green eyes scanned the pitch-dark room. She cursed when she hit her knee on something that's possibly the coffee table, but still didn't bother to turn on the lights, feeling too tired to do so. It was already two in the morning, and she just came home after a morning of doctors' rounds, three emergency surgeries, and a whole afternoon shift at the emergency room. She had a very, very long day. She had done a high workload the entire day, and she still felt that she had forgotten something important.
Gently massaging her knees, she walked into the dining area to get some ice. She finally decided to switch on the pendant lights after hitting her knee the second time. Her jaw dropped as her gaze fell on the contents on top of the glass dining table, which silently reminded her of that one important thing she couldn't believe she forgot that day. She picked up a large bouquet of red roses, careful not to hit any of the tableware that were meticulously placed on the table, and read the small card that said, 'Happy Anniversary, Sakura-chan!'
He woke up feeling gentle kisses caressed his lips. He gradually opened his eyes and saw her sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Happy anniversary, Naruto." She said, a guilty smile appeared on her face. "I'm so sorry I'm late."
He looked straight into her eyes. There were so many things he wanted to say to her,
'Why were you so late?'
'Do you know how long I waited?'
'Do you know how much I prepared for this?'
'Do you even care?'
'Do you how much prepare waited late? Wait, that doesn't sound right.'
Words inside his head started to stumble against each other. He wanted to scream at her and be angry. But he only let out a deep sigh, calming himself down before anger could consume him completely. It wasn't like he was not expecting it. This had happened before anyway.
He reached his hand and cupped her cheeks, drying hot tears with his thumb. "Did you just get home? How's work?" He said, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Happy anniversary."
Sakura carefully placed the pot roast in the middle of the table.
"Mmm, this smells delicious, Naruto. I didn't know you can cook something like this."
"Really? I did the same recipe on our anniversary last year." He answered nonchalantly.
Sakura lowered his eyes. "Oh, is that so?" Why couldn't she remember? "I-I'm really sorry, Naruto."
"Hey, I told you it's alright. We're celebrating now, right? Although, eating pot roast at three in the morning really isn't my idea for an anniversary dinner." He grinned.
"It's not like I forgot." She lied. "We were just so busy at the hospital, I couldn't go home early."
"It's okay! What's important now is you, me, having our own little time together. And of course, this pot roast." His answer got Sakura cracking up. "Hey, my article got published in a sports magazine."
"Wow! That's amazing! I'm so proud of you!" She reached for him and kissed him in the lips. "This is a double celebration, then. Do you have a copy? I wanna see it!"
"Yeah! They sent me a copy today. I really couldn't believe it. I thought they will just keep ignoring my entries." He handed her the magazine, but even before she could flip the first page, her phone rang.
"Oh, It's Ino." She hesitated for a bit.
"Why don't you answer it?" Naruto downed a half-glass of red wine, also swallowing in the process a lump that formed in his throat. Sakura finished the call after a few minutes, whereas Naruto finished the whole bottle of wine.
"Sorry about that. We have this patient at the hospital that's severely anemic. He needs transfusion, but this boy has this rare blood type and we couldn't find a match."
He continued eating as he half-heartedly listened to Sakura's hospital stories. He watched her as she became engulfed with her story-telling, that she already forgot about the magazine. It's during these times that he remembered her the most- Hinata, the girl number 10. She always listened when he talked, sluggish or not. She would laugh at his jokes; make intelligible comments to his opinions. He had her full attention, and she made him feel special. It could be because he was paying her, he had thought. But when she left that motel room that day, without taking a single penny, he thought that maybe it was something else.
"I'd be willing to donate a bag, if only we shared the same blood type. But I'm a B-positive. Do you know yours, Naruto?" Sakura asked.
"No, I don't." He answered, his attention coming back to his fiancée. "And even if I do, I still wouldn't let those needles near me."
"Such a scaredy cat." Sakura laughed. "You know what? He has the same eye color as you!" Sakura exclaimed.
"Really? Then he'll grow up very good-looking." Naruto let out a chuckle.
"Oh, he probably would. He's a cute little kid! Too bad he has such a weird name." Sakura smirked, as Naruto poured her another glass of a newly-opened bottle of red wine. "I mean, why would anyone name their child after a condiment?"
"A condiment?" Naruto's hands suddenly stopped moving.
"Unbelievable, right? Who would name her son 'Menma'?"
"Thanks for your hard work. We'll see you again tomorrow."
"Thank you for taking care of me today." Hinata bowed to the restaurant manager and left through the kitchen's backdoor. It was seven in the morning, and it's time for her to go home. But home wasn't where she was heading.
She rode the bus and found a seat near the window. It's going to be a thirty-minute ride from the restaurant to her destination, so she decided to take a nap. Sleep had become a hard-earned need since she started working at the restaurant, and given her current situation, a short nap could do magic to her nerves.
She closed her eyes, but sleep never came. Things that happened four days ago kept repeating inside her mind:
"He has a condition called Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency, or simply G6PD Deficiency. This is hereditary, and not at all that rare."
HInata's body tensed as beautiful green eyes stared back at her. She silently watched the woman's pink lips form each words and the way her well-manicured fingers tucked pink strands behind her ears. Her whole person reminded Hinata of a past she was trying to forget. But there's no time to be distracted, especially when it's her son's life that's at stake.
"This happened because he got exposed to a chemical that triggered the destruction of his red blood cells. Do you remember any objects that he might have played with or perhaps ingested?"
"I-I don't. I went to work that morning and left him with my cousin's wife." Hinata lowered his head, suddenly feeling incompetent as a mother. "Is he going to be okay?" Hinata asked worried.
"Except for the RBC count which is still very low, his other lab results are doing fine. But we would still require him to undergo a blood transfusion."
"I'll donate. I'll do everything, Haruno-sensei!"
The doctor nodded her head and checked the patient's file. "It seems that your son has a very rare blood type. His is B-negative.(1)"
"H-How rare is it? As far as I know, my blood type is A-positive. Can I donate?" Hinata asked frantically.
"I'm sorry, Hyuuga-san. This blood type can only receive blood that's also Rh-negative in nature." The doctor's eyes became sullen. "I'll admit that Rh-negative blood are really hard to find, but don't worry, we'll do our best. We'll get back to you as soon as we find a matching donor. By the way, have you tried to contact Menma-kun's father? He might have the blood we are looking for."
"W-Well..."
The bus abruptly stopped, and Hinata jerked her head forward, suddenly opening her eyes.
"Watch it, dumbass!" She heard the bus driver shouting. She looked around and saw the familiar white building ahead, so she dropped off to the next stop.
Hinata entered the hospital as soon as the doors slid open.
'I haven't received anything yet from the doctors. How am I going to find a donor?' She thought of finding 'him' multiple times, but she just didn't know where to start. She barely knew him. And how could she ask something from him? She's the one who said that Menma didn't have a father. She inwardly cursed herself for being such a bitch- literally. Figuratively. Both.
A loud 'ding' signalled that she already reached the fifth floor where Menma's room was. She stepped off the elevator, continuing to a large corridor, but suddenly stopped when she found her sister Hanabi running towards her, crying.
"Hinata-neesan!" Hanabi said in between sobs.
Hinata's face suddenly turned pale, and her feet and legs reacted on their own. She ran to Menma's room as fast as she could.
"This lasagna is super good! Thanks, mom!" The dark-haired boy said.
Hinata smiled broadly as she wiped Menma's pale lips with a napkin. She turned her head and glared at Hanabi. "Don't scare me like that!"
"I'm so sorry, Onee-san! I didn't mean to scare you. I was just so happy when the nurse told me the news." Hanabi explained.
Hinata smirked. "Try controlling your emotions sometimes. You'll give people the wrong idea." She stood up from sitting on her son's bed and hugged her sister. "But, thank you so much, Hanabi. That's really a great news. I really prayed so hard for it."
"Me, too." Hanabi hugged her back. "I've always prayed for someone to miraculously show up and volunteer to donate some blood for Menma-kun."
Hinata eyed her questioningly. "Someone volunteered? Who?"
"I don't know. The nurse that came in this morning just said that someone volunteered to donate blood at the Blood Service Department downstairs."
"Really..."
"She said it was a guy, but didn't give out his name. She said that he's pretty handsome, but she could be joking." Hanabi grinned. "But he must be a really kind person, if he's willing to donate to someone he doesn't even know."
"Yeah, he must be." Hinata felt her breathing became shallow and her heartbeat, faster, thinking that the man downstairs was probably that someone she 'barely knew'.
One arm covered his eyes as Naruto rested his head against the wall. He was seated on an empty bench just outside the Blood Service Department, where he just came from.
"Oh my God, I feel so dizzy."
He didn't know if it was because they just extracted four hundred and seventy millilitres of blood from him or because he feared needles to the bone.
"Are you alright?"
He put his arms down and opened his eyes. Naruto smiled.
"Are you okay?"
It was the nurse he talked to when he asked for directions.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." He sat up and straightened his shirt, trying to look cool.
"Are you sure? You look a bit pale." She asked.
"Maybe just a bit dizzy." He chuckled.
The lady gave him a warm smile. "Let me go get you some water. It'll help." Then she left.
"Do I really look that terrible?" Naruto uttered when he was all alone once again. His vision started to turn black, so he rested his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. "This is so uncool." He sighed.
"Are you alright?"
'That was fast.' He thought, expecting the nurse from a while ago. He slowly opened his eyes and steadied his gaze. The eyes staring back at him was the purest he had ever seen. For a moment, he forgot to breathe.
"Hinata.."
"H-Hello, Uzumaki-san."
He emptied the bottle's content in just one swig. He could feel the ice-cold liquid move down his throat and to his empty stomach, but the faint citrusy flavour didn't leave his tongue.
"Thanks for giving me this." Naruto said, pertaining to the bottle of energy drink he was holding. "You really didn't have to."
"It's all I could do, Uzumaki-san, to thank you for saving Menma's life." Hinata said softly.
"I didn't save his life. I just gave him some blood. That's all. And call me Naruto. Uzumaki-san is too formal."
"Alright, N-Naruto-san." She smiled.
"You can also drop the honorifics."
"Okay."
"H-How's... Menma?" He asked.
"He's doing fine. Doesn't really look like he's sick. He's such an energetic kid... and a naughty one, too. The nurse told me that he tried to hide under the bed last night, but he forgot that his arm was hooked up to an IV."
Naruto couldn't help but to laugh out loud. He wiped a few tears that formed on the corner of his eyes from laughing too hard. He watched as Hinata did the same thing, and he anxiously ran a hand through his hair. "You know, there's something else you can do to thank me."
"H-How?"
"You can tell me the truth." He looked at her with eyes that were almost pleading.
Hinata just looked at him with worried eyes and took a deep breath. "What- What are you talking about?"
"Come on! I'm not dumb, Hinata!" His voice got louder this time, causing a few heads to turn their way. Naruto noticed and toned down his voice in almost a whisper. "I think I already know the answer to my question. Come on, do you want me to think that it's just a coincidence that we happen to have the same blood type? (2) How many people you know have a blood type of B-Negative?! And his age! His eyes! And I'm not saying this to scare you, but I think he's growing up looking more like me!" He let out a deep sigh. "Okay, the last one's a joke... I...I just want to hear it straight from you. Is Menma my son?"
He watched her hands grasp the hem of her skirt tightly.
"It's not like I'm going to take him away from you or something. But I think I have the right to know." He said calmly.
"The thing that happened to us many years ago," Hinata started. "It was all a mistake. When you didn't come back at the club, I had the idea that you already made up with Sakura-san. I don't want to bother you anymore. I don't want to trouble you about something that was a result of a mistake I did because I wasn't thinking straight."
Naruto clenched his jaw. It was a mistake they BOTH made, he thought.
"But to answer your question, yes, he's yours. Menma is your son."
It's the answer he was expecting, yet hearing every word gave him that overwhelming feeling. He rubbed his face with his hands, and he started to feel dizzy again. "Wow."
The two of them remained silent for a while. "See, it wasn't that hard to say. What's with all the drama at the playground last month?" Naruto said when he finally felt strong enough to speak.
"I told you, I don't want to bother you." Hinata felt her blood pressure rising, and her voice became firm. "And so what if I told you then? What are you going to do about it, when Sakura-san was just right behind you?"
Naruto didn't know how to respond. "Hey calm down. I'm sorry." He said sincerely.
"A-And I also didn't know how to react. I never thought I would see you again." There was sadness in her voice that made Naruto's chest tighten.
"Me, too."
"I met her." Hinata broke the awkward silence first. "Sakura-san. I mean, Haruno-sensei. She's one of Menma's doctors." She smiled at the irony of the situation. "She really looks nice. How are things with her?"
Naruto sighed, putting both arms on top of his head. "Still the same. She's busy as always. But at least now she makes sure to come home after her shift. She forgot about our anniversary this year, too."
"I see.. Sorry to hear that. But don't be so hard on her. I can see how dedicated she is with her work. With Menma. I'm really glad she's taking care of him."
"I know that. But I can't help but wish she could also be dedicated to me, too. I'm her boyfriend, you know, for seven years." Sadness was evident in his voice. "How about you? I mean, how are you?"
"I'm fine." She answered briefly.
"Really, how are you?" He asked once again, with all sincerity he could gather from head to toe.
Hinata looked into his eyes and smiled. "Still getting by. The restaurant I'm working for pays me well. It's not as big as what I get from stripping, though," She paused, "but it's enough to give Menma a decent meal."
"Oh, right. You're a chef now." It had been a while since they last had that kind of conversation, and he had to admit that it made him feel light. Despite everything that happened, he still felt comfortable around her. Like he could say anything and wouldn't be judged.
"That's not entirely true. I'm just a kitchen helper. I told Menma a thousand times, but he just wouldn't listen."
That made Naruto crack up. "Well, how about your dad? How's he?"
The question made Hinata's eyes wide. "H-How did you know about that?"
"I told you I tried to see you again. The Boss said you resigned, then he told me some things about you. About your dad. Your sister. Your pet dog."
"I didn't have a pet dog." She frowned.
"I know. I'm just kidding."
She laughed out loud, to his surprise. It was the first time he saw her laugh like that. He had no idea that the twinkle in her eyes and the sound of her laughter could be so.. mesmerizing.
"He died."
"What?" Naruto's musing was immediately cut short by her words.
"My father died three years ago. His body couldn't take it anymore. Even with the medications, the doctors couldn't save him. But I guess he wanted it that way. He had fought that disease for five years."
"I-I see. I'm sorry."
"That's alright."
They just stayed silent for a while, as Naruto played with the empty bottle he was holding, while Hinata just seated equally quiet beside him playing with tips of her hair.
"Hey, Hinata." He glanced at her sideways.
"Y-Yes?"
"Would it be alright?"
"Huh?"
"I would like to see Menma."
Hinata stared at the door, not knowing whether to knock first or just enter casually just like she always used to. It was her son's hospital room after all. She held the doorknob and moved a shaking hand to turn it, but she stopped.
'What will I tell him? Is this even the right time?' More and more questions started to flood her mind. She was about to let go of the knob, when she felt another hand-strong and warm- covered hers.
She gazed at the person whom the hand belonged to, and blushed.
"I promise. I won't say anything stupid. I just really want to see him." Naruto said.
"A-Alright."
She took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
"Menma, sweetie, I would like you to meet someone."
1 According to sources, less than 2% of the population has a B-negative blood type. That's why it's still considered rare, like the bloodtype AB-.
2 Sources say that Naruto's blood type is B. I just changed it here to AB- for dramatic purposes. I'm also not an expert when it comes to blood types and genetics, but with what I have researched, there's a 25% chance that an A+ plus AB- could result to an offspring with an AB- blood type. But since I'm no expert, this could flawed, too. Forgive me. I am not also sure about how blood donation is processed at a hospital. I might be wrong about the volunteers and all. Sorry. :|
6-4-14: I changed Naruto's and Menma's blood type from AB- to a B-, lessening their options for transfusion to only B- and O-. It also fits, since Naruto's bloodtype, according to databook is actually B. Thanks again to Flameraven1 for helping me.