Love & Truth
16. The Union, The Reunion
(Third Person's POV)
As soon as the engagement news got to Ayame's ears, she invited herself to congratulate the two. After spending a while however, she decided to get some fun out of it.
„So... When will the wedding be?" Ayame asked teasingly.
Naruto only looked at Sasuke, who glared at the woman, then sighed and replied.
„We agreed to have it in a month after the twins are born... Most of our friends don't know about my, uhm... condition, and I don't really want to scare them that much." He said, scratching the back of his head, embarrassed. „This reminds me... We'll have to leave in a few days."
„Leave! Why?" Ayame asked, taken off guard.
„I'll need some help during the labour and it's not like I can simply get a midwife as women do. I'll need Tsunade-baa, she's the Hokage, and the best doctor in our village, and – what is the most important – she knows about my condition and I can trust her. So we'll be leaving, before it gets too dangerous to travel."
Ayame studied the blonde's serious expression for a while and then sighed.
„I guess you're right... Does that mean we won't see your wedding?" She asked then, disappointed.
„I wanted to invite you for the wedding, actually, but I'll understand if you won't want to come, it's a long way, after all... This reminds me... I won't get to see Gaara's and Neji's wedding."
Just as Ayame opened her mouth to say something about it, Sasuke decided to step into the conversation.
„The Sand freak and Hyuuga are getting married already? How come you didn't tell me?"
„It slipped my mind completely... Neji told me when he came here..." Naruto explained, by-passing the nickname Sasuke had for the Kazekage and refused to drop. "They should have the wedding in two weeks or so... and it's not like I can just show up there like this..."
„Does "henge" ring a bell to you, dobe? You're changing your appearance already, it wouldn't hurt to let the bump disappear for few hours... anyway I'm sure Sand freak would want you there, you're his best friend after all..."
„And you'd go there with me? I know you're not on best terms with him..."
„I'm not, but I can survive a day or two, besides, after that I won't see him for a few months and that would leave me enough time to recover." The raven smirked, pulling the blonde into hug. „And on a top of it, I know you'll regret it if you don't go. So I'll bear with it for your sake." He said, kissing the tip of the younger male's nose.
As a response he got a soft kiss on the lips.
„I love you." The blonde said shyly.
„I love you, too." Crooned the raven as he showered the blonde's neck with soft kisses.
Soon it did not stay at just these and the two of them started kissing feverishly, the sparking between them intense enough to set the house on fire, Ayame, who watched them smiling, slipping into the oblivion immediately.
Seeing that she is no longer seen, the woman left the house quietly. As soon as she left the house though, she started laughing heartily, laughing like that the whole way back home.
L&T
(Naruto's POV)
I woke up next to Sasuke, leaning closer to him, studying his sleeping face. It looked content, somehow.
I felt my ears turn red as I put two and two together.
Just as I was about to get up, to go and cool my face, one of the long slender arms pulled me closer, and I felt teme's breath on my neck.
It's not that I did not like it. It was just that those stupid hormones made me overreact at every possible opportunity. And so basking in the closeness we shared, I started sniffling, too happy to stop it.
It did not take even a minute and I woke Sasuke up – which was a heroic thing to do, once he was asleep so deeply – immediately getting him worried, about my latest outburst.
However teme was not stupid. During the time we spent together like this, he already somehow gotten used to these mood swings of mine, and most importantly, how to deal with them. And so he pulled me even closer, whispering sweet nothings into my ear, wiping the tears away with one hand and rubbing soothing circles on my back with the other.
Like that I was quite calmed down in no time.
„Sorry about that." I mumbled, once I was able to speak in normal sentences once more.
„It's okay. It's what comes with the pregnancy... When you feel like crying cry I'll be the one to soothe you. When you feel like screaming scream I'll hold you and talk to you, until the bad mood passes and when you feel down come to me and I'll kiss it better... Remember that, okay?" He said softly, sealing the unsaid deal with a soft kiss.
Somehow the gentleness of the gesture made me start crying all over again.
L&T
In ten days from the agreement we decided to leave.
We've decided that we'd go to Suna, which took three days, and then stay there for the wedding, which would take up to another three days. After that we'd go back to Konoha - about four days, counting my decreased ability to run - and we'd try to get there sometime in the night, so we won't attract too much attention. Also we'd go straight to Tsunade, hoping that she won't have more important matter to attend.
During our way to Suna Sasuke filled me on about the situation with the new group that appeared.
He already told me some vague information before, but it was only as much as it was necessary when he gave me to read the letter he received.
I had to wonder why did he not decide to tell me the rest sooner, but then again, I guess he chose not to until it was necessary. After all he was with me all day, so he must have thought there would be less opportunity to attack. On the way however, it was way easier to attack out of nowhere, and Sasuke wanted me to be alert.
Like that - thankfully with no accidents - we arrived at Suna just as we planned.
Before we were in sight I had to put henge, on since not many guards would be thrilled at the sight of a pregnant man, well someone who was not their Kazekage... And so I just turned to what I would "normally" look like, not being in the need of any other disguise.
The guards were a bit more cautious, since they did not want any disturbance at their leader's wedding, but it was nothing too bad. We were let in after a brief control.
„So... Here we are..." Sasuke muttered, as we headed in the direction of Kazekage's tower.
I had to laugh softly, at the sight of Sasuke, who obviously did not feel like encountering Gaara. He looked as a kid who was about to be punished... but then again, in a way he was.
„Safe and sound." I grinned only as we continued, looking at the commotion around the village, everyone excited about the village's head wedding.
„I'm glad we could make it."
L&T
(Neji's POV)
I put sleeping Shin into his crib, taking him from the arms of his equally sleeping "mother", who dozed off while sitting on the couch. I pulled a blanket over him and frowned.
Even in his sleep were Gaara's eyebrows knitted together, showing the pressure he was in from the side of the council. They were giving him a really hard time about the whole wedding thing. Not to mention they were grumpy about not telling them about the pregnancy until after birth. If not for our dominant traits that Shin got from us, I'm sure they would have refused to believe in such a thing. Thanks gods they were content to see the combination of red hair and Byakugan eyes. The talk they had with Kankurou, Temari, Shikamaru and the doctor who delivered the baby also did not hurt. They were still muttering about it, but they had to believe us in the end.
Now however they had to get grumpy about the wedding.
It was kind of funny how the village took it quite good, yet those old coffin-dodgers had to ramble about it being wrong and such.
And on the top of all of it Gaara was sad about Naruto not being able to make it to the wedding. He wanted him as his best man.
'Or would it be bridesmaid in this case?'
I did warn him about Naruto not probably being able to make it, but seeing the fact in the process was kind of hard for Gaara to take.
I sighed and walked to the window, from which I could see the main road beaming with excitement.
As I was to return to Gaara a bright spot on the road caught my eye. An orange spot, as to say. Not to mention it was walking next to a certainly black one. It did not take to long and I could see other features of the two figures.
I had to smile to myself.
'Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear.'* I had to think as I silently left the room to welcome our latest guests.
L&T
(Gaara's POV)
I woke up with a huge headache, and groaning I shifted, causing some piece of fabric that has been pulled over me to fall.
It did not take me long to realize that it was a blanket.
As I was about to reach out for it, I heard Neji coming, obviously with someone, as he did not have a habit of talking to himself.
Once I recognized who the voices belonged to I felt all the drowsiness leave me and I got up from the couch immediately, just in time to see the door opening and Neji, Naruto and ... Uchiha ... come in.
„Gaara!" Naruto exclaimed as soon as he saw me and hugged me.
„Hello Naruto." I had to smile despite myself.
„Hello Sand..." Sasuke never got to finish that, and I never really got to know what he wanted to call me as he got a well aimed punch into the ribs from Naruto.
„Greetings Uchiha." I shot back, smiling in a way I'd smile while eating a lemon.
„When did the two of you arrive?" I turned to Naruto.
„Just today, actually, I did not want to miss the wedding." He grinned.
There was something off about him. I could not really place it until I heard Shin wake up. As I went to soothe him, it hit me.
„Shouldn't you be... bigger?" I asked, knowing how I myself reacted to the questions about weight.
„Ah yes, I'm under henge, since I wanted to go as myself to the wedding and I can't really walk into the gate as I look like actually... How big is the chance of someone... unwanted coming here?" He asked, scratching the back of his head.
„Well, not really, everyone at least knocks... except for Kankurou, but he knew about me so I don't really think of his as dangerous in that way."
„Okay, means I can lift it for now." He said, making the hand sign.
As he turned in a puff of smoke and as he suddenly perceived all of the weight once again, he lost his balance, but it did not last that long as Uchiha caught him immediately, probably expecting something of the sort.
„Yay... That's better..." Naruto said, stretching. „Even if I can't see my feet." He laughed.
„You're ... big. You look as big as Gaara did when he was in his last month." Neji said. He received a deadly glare from Naruto for such a comment.
'No weight mentions to pregnant women... and Jinchuuriki.' I had to chuckle to myself.
„Anyway can I take it that you intend to attend the wedding?" I asked, as I almost saw lightnings come from Naruto's eyes, heading in the direction of my poor from-tomorrow husband.
„Ah... Yeah that was the plan; we'll head to Konoha the day after." Naruto said, switching his attention to me, the traces of anger already invisible.
„I wanted to ask you if you would want to be my best man, actually."
Naruto's eyes went wide at the statement.
„I thought you'd take the Puppet freak." the Uchiha said, waving his hand before unresponsive Naruto's face.
„Kankurou was Temari's best man... I don't think he'd take the offence." I growled.
„... You'd really want me to?" Naruto said in a small voice, finally taken back to the reality.
„Well yeah, you're my best friend after all."
As a response I got a crying Naruto hugging me, babbling thank-yous over and over.
I was not sure how to calm him down, until the Uchiha took the initiative and started soothing Naruto, lessening his grip on me, soon to have the clinging Naruto on himself.
„He'd be happy even if you asked in normal condition..." He smirked. „This is what you get from him when hormone-boosted."
We spent another half an hour trying to calm Naruto down, succeeding in the end.
After that I showed the Uchiha who was carrying the already-asleep Naruto to their shared room.
„See you tomorrow then." I said, as I watched him place Naruto on the bed gently.
„Hn."
L&T
(Third Person's POV)
The day of the wedding came as quickly as it passed.
It started as any other day, though the excitement was, quite obviously, going through the streets.
The wedding ceremony itself was quite simple.
The groom-to-be and "wife"-to-be exchanged their vows, rings and shared their first kiss as a married couple, which caused the overly emotional best man Naruto to start crying again.
During the feast Naruto and Sasuke met Tsunade, who was also invited to the wedding.
The blonde woman was quite surprised to see Naruto as the best man... to see him there at all was quite a shock. She however was also very happy to see the two of them together, and congratulated them on the engagement.
After that they decided to go back to Konoha together, since it was the easiest and safest way to bring almost-seven-months pregnant Naruto back to the village.
Little did they know that not everything is to go as they planned.
L&T
One would think that the young woman would be happy for a company, but she was not.
She was not, since she knew, that the child that was imprisoned with her, just having been dragged to her cell by hair, was to share the same fate she did.
She felt so sorry for the small boy, forgetting about being in the very same situation for a second.
She sighed and took the boy in her arms, humming him a lullaby, trying to make him sleep for a while, so he won't suffer from his new, hostile, surroundings. She did not even have a chance to ask his name, as he seemed to lose his speech due to the shock.
After a while he fell asleep, and the young woman was left with her thoughts alone once more.
She did not want to admit it, but she was scared. She was scared for her life and for the life of the small boy that slept in her arms.
And she was scared for the life of others that she knew are to be dragged to that prison.
Soon.
Done ~
* Thank you, KitsuneLuvr88 for supplying me the correct proverb ;)
Another exhausting chapter, hope you enjoyed (^O^)
Also sorry for the title, I had no idea what else to call this chapter xD
See ya~ ( "-.-)/