Confrontations and Temptations

When Keiko was released from the hospital, she and Naruto stayed at the Nara home upon Yoshino's insistence. Their hostess would not hear of them going back to that horrible house where so many bad memories were harbored and living nightmares had taken place. She already knew they were planning to buy a new home and did not think it necessary for them to stay there or in a hotel when their home had a perfectly good basement that could be used as temporary living quarters for the couple. Besides, if Keiko was with her she would be able to take care of her friend and make sure the baby arrived safely as well. Shikaku and Shikamaru knew better than to argue with her - as if they would anyway. It wasn't as if they were taking in strangers; these people were practically family because they had been friends for so many years.

"Have you found anything yet?" Yoshino inquired one night after dinner when Keiko was browsing real estate websites.

The two women had been left alone at the kitchen table since the men had disappeared somewhere together. The three of them did that a lot. Yoshino was accustomed to it and enjoyed it. Keiko, however, was not. She missed being able to be alone with her husband. She did not nag or fuss because things were simply difficult right now, and she did not want to make them worse. Soon they would get better. She was also trying to be patient and understanding with her husband because on top of all of the other stresses, Naruto had started his first quarter of classes at the university. Through video conferencing and by telephone she had gone back to work and was counseling her patients again. Sometimes she wondered if she needed to go see a shrink of her own to be able to deal with everything. A month had passed and she was four weeks closer to that thirty week deadline leaving only four weeks to go. She hoped she could actually surpass it and carry the baby longer so he would have a higher chance of having less problems.

"Keiko, how did it start?" Yoshino suddenly asked while her friend was busy taking a virtual tour of a home on her laptop.

"How did what start?" she queried hoping to avoid the question by acting distracted.

"Your relationship with Naruto. How did it start?" she repeated, eyeing her friend intently over her coffee cup.

Keiko took a deep breath because she felt like her friend's dark eyes were piercing her very soul. She did not want to answer this question. "By pure accident really. It started not too long before he graduated. We never would have guessed at any point in our lives together that something like this could happen. But do you know what?" she asked, staring at her friend with such a fierce look in her eyes that Yoshino actually had to look away. "I don't regret a damn thing. I love him."

Yoshino smiled, patting Keiko on the hand. "I have no doubt about that. I'm sure he loves you just as much." Her friend paused, the smile on her face turning downright lecherous as she leaned over to whisper conspiratorially, "So how is he in bed?"

"Yoshino!" Keiko exclaimed, blushing hotly. She was immediately painfully aware of how much she missed intimate moments with him. Not just the sex but everything; hugs, kisses, even small touches. He seemed to be afraid to touch her at all since the trouble with the baby began. She sighed deeply staring down at her belly. This little one was already a very much loved child.

"In all seriousness, I'm glad for you. You seem to be really happy for the first time in many years. Have you found a house?"

"Yeah. I kind of like this home. It even has a separate building on the other side of the garage I can use for my office."

The three men came back in while the women were looking at pictures of the gorgeous five bedroom three bath home.

"Hey, we've been invited to a party on campus at one of the frat houses. Do you mind if we go?" Shikamaru asked, putting his hand on Naruto's shoulder as if they did not know who we included.

Keiko felt uncomfortable with the idea of Naruto going there and wanted to say no. She also did not want to be a self-centered shrew either. A situation like this was bound to come up sooner or later. "Go ahead. Have a great time and relax a little," she said, forcing a smile she hoped at least appeared genuine. Deep within her heart she wished he would refuse to go and stay with her, but he didn't. She could visibly see the relief that flooded his face when she acted like she was just fine with the idea.

"Thanks, honey. I love you," he said, giving her a dutiful peck on the lips before he ran out of the door.

Yoshino watched the two excited young men as they left the house. Her eyes were angry when she turned them on her friend. "How could you do that? Why didn't you tell him no?" she bitched like she had a tendency to do.

"Because I'm not his mother anymore. And even if I was, he's an adult now. He's a man and I can't tell him what to do…as his mother or his wife," Keiko replied a whole lot more calmly than she felt.

"Aren't you afraid? Doesn't it scare you that he'll be around all of those pretty, teenaged college girls who will be drunk and horny?" Sometimes this woman really did not know when to shut up.

"Well, of course, but – " she began in reply to be abruptly cut off by the other woman starting another line of griping.

"Yoshino!" Shikaku yelled, shocking both of the women into silence. The man never raised his voice and certainly not to his wife.

"How dare you talk to me like that? You know as well as I do he shouldn't go to that party! She should not have let him go. I should – " It was her turn to be cut off by her usually silent and complacent husband who could no longer sit by and watch this go on.

"You should shut your mouth right now. It's none of your business, and you're not helping the situation. Can't you see that it is killing her, and you're hurting her worse? Not another word, Yoshino," he warned her, glaring at her menacingly with his dark eyes. "For once in your life, please, just shut the hell up."

Naruto was sitting on a couch by himself wondering what he was doing here. Shikamaru had disappeared leaving him alone and feeling ridiculous. This seemed like such a good idea until he got here. He didn't belong here. He wasn't like these people anymore. With a wife and a child at home who needed him, he ran off to go to a stupid frat party. What had he been thinking? Stinking drunk, half naked people were everywhere. Some people were having sex right out in front of everyone else not giving a damn who watched. He was sure one day some of these people would be patients of his wife's because of the aberrant behavior they were exhibiting. Just as he was standing up to leave, Sakura appeared in front of him and pushed him back down on the couch. She sat down in his lap, pressing her lips to his for a sloppy drunk kiss.

"Hey, sexy," Sakura murmured in his ear, kissing his neck. "It's about time you showed up at one of these parties. I know you've wanted me for years. Now you can have me."

At first Naruto gave in. He accepted the kiss from the girl who had once been his greatest desire. A moan escaped his lips when she rubbed her body against the growing mound beneath his waist. There was a flurry of hands and lips all over making him very aroused. He did not push her hands away as she unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans to pull his erect and aching member from the confines of the tight cloth. Another moan passed his lips when her soft hand stroked his throbbing hardness. It had been a while since he had been touched sexually.

"Oh, Naruto, I want you," Sakura groaned in his ear as she stroked him faster.

He wanted it too. Just not from her. He shoved her off of his lap after memories flooded his mind of the nights he had spent crying, cradled in his beautiful mother's arms, over this same girl who rejected him and broke his heart. She dared to come to him to seduce him. She wanted him now that he was married with a child on the way. Keiko, his wife and the mother of his child, was waiting for him. She trusted him not to cheat on her so he would not dare break that trust.

"No! I don't want you!" he yelled at the stunned girl who was sitting on the coffee table amid ashtrays and empty beer cups. He quickly and uncomfortably pulled himself back together before they drew any more attention.

"Of course you do. Don't be silly," she said, attempting to be sensual but managing to disgust him instead. She tried to touch him, but he pushed her hands away and stood up from the couch.

"I'd be stupid to have sex with you. I haven't wanted you for years you bitch!" he exclaimed, resisting the urge to slap her. "Go to your damn boyfriend. He's the one you chose over me a long time ago so deal with it."

"And who did you choose? Your mother?" she giggled derisively. She was backing away from him when she tripped on a beer bottle and was granted a one way trip to the floor.

It was so hard not to laugh so Naruto turned his back on her to walk away. He stopped when he felt her claws sink into his back after she literally jumped on him.

"Sick bastard! Everyone knows about you! We all know you screwed your mother and got her pregnant!" Sakura screamed like a banshee. After she climbed off his back, she shoved him forward. She was actually starting a fight with him like she used to when they were kids.

The whole party went silent; no music, no talking, no laughing, no anything. Everyone gaped at the red faced blond man being confronted by the ugly, bitter pink haired girl. Naruto was not red because he was embarrassed but because he was furious. He had never hit a woman and would not punch Sakura at this moment no matter how much she deserved it. Regret was not something he had experienced with any of the decisions he had made in the last several months, and he did not want to start now. The only thing he regretted so far in his life was coming to this party.

"Look, you mean, hateful hag, I love her. She's more of a woman than you can ever hope to be. I've already told you once, go find Sasuke and leave me the hell alone," he snarled, his lips pulling back from his teeth in disdain and revulsion as he looked at her. He smiled with wicked delight as he said, "It's been years since I've wanted you. Keiko was the one who kissed my tears away when you broke my heart. I fell in love with her then. Now that I have her as my own, I wonder why the hell I ever wanted your sorry ass in the first place."

Keiko was wide awake when he returned, but she pretended to be asleep. The bed shifted under his weight, and she curled into a tighter ball hugging her tummy to comfort herself. Tears burned the back of her eyelids as they threatened to fall. She was relieved he was home. Her mind had raced for hours with terrible thoughts of what could be happening at that party.

"Keiko, honey, I need you to hold me," Naruto whispered, prying her arms from around her belly. He was right here, right now, and he needed her.

"What happened?" she asked, rolling over to take him into her arms.

"I don't want to talk about it. I just want the two people I love most," he said, kissing her like a husband should kiss his wife. His hand searched her belly until he found the baby kicking around on her side closest to the bed. "I love you. I love you both."

"Sweetie, you're scaring me. What happened?" She grunted when he pressed his lips against hers again, stroking her cheek with his fingertips. There was urgency about the kiss that unnerved her. Surely he didn't…no, he would never do anything like that. He loved her too much to cheat on her.

"I'm so proud that you belong to me. Don't you ever be embarrassed by our relationship. I'm not." He hugged her tightly, burying his face between her breasts. His hands cupped them, his thumbs massaging over the nipples gently. Damn. He wanted her so much.

"Naruto," she moaned in his ear. "Sweetie, you've got to stop. We can't. It could cause me to start having contractions again."

"I know. I'm sorry," he apologized, sliding his arms around her body to hold her close.

"Soon all of this will be over. We will have a home of our own and our baby in our arms."