They fix the banking the next day. Sasuke gets his fixed immediately and is able to withdraw money over the counter because the banks know Naruto from all the years he worked on setting up Sasuke's accounts for him.
Naruto's given a chair to sit on and a bottle of water while Sasuke speaks with a manager in another cubicle. He gave Sasuke everything he needs to get a hold of the accounts, so he'll be able to use them.
After about ten minutes of waiting, looking around, watching people come and go, the manager, a beta, comes out from her cubicle. "Uzumaki-san, please follow me,"
Naruto trails after her into the cubicle, then sits next to Sasuke, who's signing some documents.
"Uzumaki-san, Uchiha-san is letting us know that you'll be registered as a joint account holder for all his accounts," she says, handing him a pen.
"Please make sure Naruto has and/or access," says Sasuke, sliding the document over to Naruto.
"Are you sure, sir? An 'and/or' access means you may not know every movement made,"
"I know," he answers. Like it's obvious.
"Is there any other kind of access?" Naruto asks, knowing Sasuke might be on a short fuse if the manager doesn't do as he's asking.
"Yes, the 'and only' kind. It means both of you need to sign off on any movement,"
"Oh well, isn't that better, Sasuke?"
"I want things to be easy for you,"
"How about, we register Uzumaki-san as a joint holder, and then open another and/or account for easy movement?" she reaches into her files and pulls out another set of blank forms. "That way, you can monitor everything that goes out from the main account, then do as you please for the other,"
"Will he still be able to use everything even after a name change?" Sasuke asks, thinking that yes that's a good idea and immediately starts to fill out the document for him and Naruto.
The manager tries not to show her surprise. "Yes,"
There it is. The look Naruto gets from everybody. The disbelief. That the kid who used to pull pranks… the jinchuuriki who contains the demon fox that destroyed the village and killed almost an entire generation of people, is here at the bank about to suck the wealth out of last remaining Uchiha. Like he's a golddigger. Like he's not worth Sasuke's time. As if he's the missing-nin and not Sasuke.
Like he hasn't given his whole life into training and becoming who he is to save this village from every single evil it has encountered.
She gives him a once over, eyes landing a second longer on Naruto's belly. Like he's been planning this, this whole time. Like he planned to get himself pregnant by arguably the wealthiest man this side of the country, so he could have access to his assets.
"Naruto," Sasuke slides the documents over to Naruto to sign.
Naruto's both embarrassed but also angry, so he signs immediately, not letting the manager get a word in. Because he's tired. He's done everything to protect Sasuke, but nobody ever believes he does it for Sasuke and Sasuke alone. That there's nothing in it for him, other than he loves Sasuke.
That even if Sasuke got up, took all of this wealth, left him with an Uchiha child to raise on his own, Naruto still wouldn't take it against him.
"Right," is the only thing she says. She hands Sasuke a transfer slip. "Please fill this out for the initial deposit to the new account,"
Sasuke fills it out as fast as he can and keeps eye contact with her when he hands it over and she almost double takes at the amount he indicated. "I would also like to make a withdrawal,"
"It took all of me not to strike her, the way she looked at you," Sasuke hisses as they step out of the bank. "Ungrateful piece of shit,"
Naruto sighs. "Just leave it, Sasuke,"
The alpha takes his hand, opens a portal to the apartment and pulls Naruto through.
"This is what they do to you?" Sasuke can't help the rise in his voice.
"Sasuke, leave it," Naruto insists. "Please," he takes a seat at the table, the portal making him a little dizzy.
"No. I won't leave it," says Sasuke growls. "And I'll never stop leaving it until they treat you the way you deserve to be treated. If I have to inaugurate you as Hokage myself—Naruto?"
"Just… give me a moment," Naruto rests his forehead on his palm, elbow on the table, trying to keep still. "I got a little woozy,"
Sasuke reaches into his pouch and hands Naruto a small vial as he pops it open with his thumb. "Here, this might help," he kneels by his mate.
Naruto inhales the minty smell, and slowly, after several inhales and maybe a few minutes, the dizziness fades. He looks up at Sasuke. "Let's not do portals again,"
"Are you okay?" Sasuke brushes a thumb over Naruto's cheek, tracing a whisker. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking—I just pulled you into the portal without asking. I was just so angry. I had to take you out of there before I could destroy that building,"
It's Naruto's turn to kiss Sasuke's forehead. "Thank you for being angry for me. I'm used to it. Been dealing with it since I was a kid, remember?"
"I know. I wish you still didn't have to deal with it now,"
"It's why I don't go out much anymore. Or see the others," Naruto doesn't meet the alpha's eyes. "Not because everybody's busy…"
Sasuke moves to sit at the table.
"I know it's… healthy… to see people. But seeing the others… means other people see me, too. I didn't want them to hear or antagonize civilians or whatever so I just… stopped seeing them. Except Sakura-chan she… she sees me over when Baa-chan is too busy. Or Shikamaru because I work with him, but other than checkups and work, groceries, I don't go out much. It's… too much negative energy,"
"Naruto…" he reaches for his mate's hand to squeeze.
"I first started bleeding after a trip to a grocery store. I was picking up some rice and was at the checkout, didn't have blockers or my hitai-ate on since I was off duty with a sick week. I overheard someone telling their kid that they shouldn't be spreading their legs for everybody if they didn't want to turn out unmated and pregnant, and thrown away like me. That I was a waste, used goods. What was I supposed to say? They made it sound like I slept with the whole village. I didn't even know I was pregnant then.
"Then when I'd started showing, some drunkard stopped me on the way back to the apartment, here, from work and told me he thinks the baby is my pervert teacher's. I'd just moved out of Kakashi-sensei's house to live closer to the tower and stopped seeing them after that encounter. I didn't want them following me home, and sensei finding out what these drunkards thought of the omega he raised, or that they didn't respect him enough as a shinobi, their protector and future Hokage, that they thought he was perverted enough to touch his own child. He must be upset with me because I avoid them at work, too. I don't know, maybe they think I should've known better. I know Baa-chan thinks it.
"Then I started working too much because I wanted to avoid the drunkards. Most of them are passed out by 10, so I would… work until 10 in the evening because I didn't want Baa-chan to think I'm wasting the office resources waiting there, so I just worked. Then I'd walk home."
Naruto looks up to finally meets Sasuke's gorgeous, mismatched, powerful eyes.
"It's also why I only told Baa-chan that you're the father. I didn't tell Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei either, but I guess they figured it out just as it left my mouth. You're an alpha. People get over an alpha's escapades, for an omega they're much less forgiving,"
Naruto remembers the day the beautiful people who thought they raised him into a proper young man, a supposedly decent omega, visited him at the hospital after that first bleed, him laying in bed, crying and begging the forgiveness of his teachers.
"Sakura doesn't know?"
Naruto shakes his head. "I don't think she'd have taken it well,"
There's a pause, a long one, as pregnant as Naruto is.
"Please don't tell anybody. I don't want any more trouble,"
Somehow Sasuke feels as if he caused all this. If he had just come home to Naruto sooner. Then if only Sasuke could get punish them, make them live a lifetime of torment in a few seconds of genjutsu, he would.
"Can we continue the apartment hunting tomorrow? I don't think I want to go out anymore,"
"Alright,"
Naruto sighs. Then brings his hands up to his face to tap himself in the cheeks a few times to pull himself together. "I'll put out some cold tea. Sakura-chan gave me this soft cheese a while back that she says goes well with salty crackers,"
Sasuke doesn't know what to say, because the only thing he can say is that he'll be very violent with these people and return to these people their cruelty, but Naruto will only object. Naruto first turns on the radio to get rid of the ringing silence in the apartment before pulling on an apron and retrieving the food.
A song comes on that Naruto immediately starts softly singing along to as he prepares the cheese and the crackers.
Why did you leave me? Is there something wrong with me?
I can't understand why you don't want me anymore
Sasuke watches Naruto's back as he moves in the kitchenette. Pulling things in and out of their containers as he works.
It's difficult to live alone like this.
Nothing is easy especially when there's no money
It's been years and I'm sick of being alone.
Were these lyrics… did Naruto relate to these lyrics?
Every moment I'm not with you,
I must force myself to face the truth
That you're gone, and nothing can ever replace
Our dreams of our forever together
Naruto reaches for some ice from the freezer and fills two glasses with them and the oolong tea as he sings.
No. I can't fall in love again.
I'd rather wait for you for the rest of my life. (1)
Sasuke gets up from the table and hugs Naruto from behind.
"Huh?" Naruto sets down the pitcher of cold tea. He feels Sasuke's breath on his neck. He giggles. "Teme, that tickles," he says as he puts a little sugar in his glass. Sasuke doesn't like sweet things, so he leaves Sasuke's unsweetened.
Sasuke will make sure Naruto won't ever be able to relate to songs like this again. That no one again will make Naruto have to feel sorry for being himself. Sasuke can understand the distrust the villagers have with him, but with Naruto? He'll end them.
A new song comes in that Sasuke likes the lyrics to. There's an intro of brass and the song steady and easy.
I want to dance slow with you
Put your hand on my waist,
Our bodies swaying with the music
Sasuke pulls Naruto from the kitchen counter and places Naruto's arms on his shoulder, his own hand on Naruto's waist, and they start swaying slowly with the music, just like the lyrics.
Naruto blushes. "When did you become so romantic?"
The alpha shrugs. He's doing this to get their minds off what happened today, but also because he has some things he has to say. "I realize I may have done things a little out of order,"
I want to dance slow with you
This is the song we've been waiting for
"What do you mean?" Naruto asks as he lays his head on Sasuke's shoulder.
"This whole…thing," Sasuke answers vaguely as they sway.
This is my chance to tell you
What my heart has wanted to say for the longest time (2)
"I love you,"
That makes Naruto freeze and stop swaying, then looks up at the man he'd loved for so long.
Sasuke's Sharingan is active. He's recording this, to remember in the future when he's thinking of them. Memorizing every detail of Naruto's face. That tanned skin, the whiskers on his cheeks, the fair eyelashes, bright blue eyes, everything beautiful about his kitsune.
"I think… I've always loved you. Sorry I took so long, Naruto,"
Naruto's so happy he doesn't know what to do with the heart pounding out of his chest. "I would've waited for the rest of my life," he says, just like the song. "I love you, too,"
(1) These lyrics are translated/transliterated into English from the song Muli (Again) by Ace Banzuelo.
(2) These lyrics are translated/transliterated into English from the song Mabagal (Slow) by Daniel Padilla and Moira dela Torre.