Back home, Naruto opens the presents.

"Do you think this will work," says Naruto as he reads the card in the box that contains the dried kelp. It says the kelp symbolizes healthy children.

Naruto doesn't comment on the hemp and cuttlefish, which symbolize growing old together and a long marriage.

Sasuke doesn't say anything and places a kiss on Naruto's head.

"Teme, you're home," says Naruto excitedly one day, gesturing for Sasuke to come to him faster so he can get a welcome home kiss. Sasuke went out to the tower for a while.

Sasuke lets Kaede take his coat and crosses the living room in a few strides to give Naruto a kiss and sits next to him on the sofa. "I see the packages have arrived," he says.

"What are they?" Naruto asked. All the packages are in the living room and Naruto leaves them unopened since they're all addressed to Sasuke. "How come there's so many?"

Sasuke undoes the twine that holds the first box together and removes the cover.

"Clothes?" Naruto asks, not daring to touch the luxurious looking fabric. "What for?"

Sasuke pulls the first piece of clothing from the box. The cloth unravels from its folded state, revealing the Uchiha crest on them, and places it on Naruto's lap. "For you, of course,"

Naruto gasps. "Really?"

"Yes," says Sasuke, "Of all sizes, so you can start wearing them now if you like,"

Naruto holds the shirt in his hands, almost cradling it. Clothes, regular clothes for everyday use for him, all with the crest. He's… he's an Uchiha now, isn't he? He grabs Sasuke's shirt and pulls him into a filthy kiss. Sasuke returns it with fervor but pulls away when he feels his control is about to snap.

"What…" Sasuke pants, "Was that for?"

"I…"

Sasuke's nose flares. He can smell Naruto slicking right next to him. "Naruto…"

"I don't know!" the omega whines. "I just… you're an alpha! My alpha! And the clothes, food, the house, you're providing… it's making me nuts!"

"…what?"

"I… I want to present to you, all the time," Naruto groans, lowering his head and avoiding Sasuke's eyes. "But Baa-chan said we can't, and last time I tried to… y'know… you said I'm on a thin line and I thought… maybe I thought wrong… maybe I was overthinking?"

"Thought… wrong?"

"That I'm not…"

"Dobe, I'm honestly at a loss here. I have no idea what you're talking about,"

"I'm ugly, okay!" Naruto blurts out.

Sasuke grabs a shoulder and forces Naruto to look at him. "Who told you that!"

"No one! Well, I guess, me? I don't know!" he says in frustration. "I thought… you said I was on a thin line, and I thought I understood it… and then I saw myself in the mirror and it's not… good to look at. I thought you'd be… repulsed…"

Sasuke pulls him up from the sofa and drags him into their bedroom and places Naruto on their bed. He sits behind Naruto, places him between his legs, and snakes his arm under Naruto's and wraps it around him, palm on top of Naruto's belly.

"This body, your body, has gone through much to save me from the darkness, from myself, from gods, from every kind of danger a simple man can't comprehend. You are worth more than your service. I love you as you are. This heart," he places his hand on the left side of Naruto's chest. "Loved me when I didn't deserve it. This head," he taps Naruto's temple. "Thought of me and my well-being when nobody else did. This womb," his hand moves to the bottom curve of his belly and cradles the heaviness, "Has received my seed willingly and has planted the roots of the tree that will grow deep, deep into the ground so that it will grow so far up it touches the sky and will never, ever be felled and reduced to only a burnt stump,"

Naruto's hand joins Sasuke's on his belly. A foot or a hand runs through across Naruto's popped navel.

"This body will soon birth the beginnings of a new clan and if I do say so myself, but I'm quite biased, may be its strongest matriarch yet. This body will nourish our son, help him grow strong. So don't ever think I will be repulsed by your body, Naruto. You have done for me more than I deserve, and just for that, I owe you, your body, worship,"

The blond turns to him, presses a kiss to the dry lips. "I don't need any of that,"

"Too bad, that's what you'll get,"

Naruto shivers when Sasuke leans into his neck and nips at the thin skin that covers his scent gland.

"Let me touch you,"

"Touch me,"

Sasuke runs into Sakura while he's on the way to the Hokage tower, walking the last five minutes from the property.

"Sasuke-kun,"

"Sakura,"

"Tsunade-shishou mentioned she'll be the one to look after Naruto exclusively. Is he ok?"

"No, he's not," Sasuke answers curtly. He pulls her into a quiet, narrow alley. "And I'd really appreciate it if you stopped with your little crush,"

"What?"

"Sakura, the whole village knows you like me, but this has got to stop. We're not children anymore,"

"Sasuke-kun, what do you mean—"

"There has always been something between me and Naruto. Don't act like you don't know, or at least suspected. I come to see you for suppressants, and you smelt Naruto on me, and you still scented me?"

"You're my friend! I just missed you, that's all!" she tries to reason.

"Then stop missing me," says Sasuke, as if it's easy to do. "I'm sure you've already heard of the news that Naruto and I are engaged and live together. I love him. Yes, this has been going on for years. Get it through your thick skull,"

Sakura doesn't have anything to answer to that other than what tumbles out of her mouth that she regrets as soon as it leaves her lips. "You're not even the father of Naruto's child!"

"So you think he's been fucking around?" Sasuke snaps at her. "Just like every other villager, who's accused him of spreading his legs for anyone, even for his own sensei? Sakura, do you hear yourself?"

"I didn't—" she tries again, but Sasuke doesn't want to hear her excuse.

"You're his teammate; you're one of his doctors; you know he's never spent a heat with anybody; you know he's never spent a heat outside of the village. You know there's always been something between us. Everybody knew it. Naruto is not subtle. Even after years of dancing around each other, Naruto's never even asked me to spend a heat with him,"

The frustration comes out of Sasuke's mouth like a waterfall. All the anger talking is tiring him out, and he's spent years using anger as an anchor and motivation.

"If there's anyone who people should be accusing of fucking around or wondering if they have a child out of wedlock, it's me, Sakura. Between Naruto and I, I'm the one who spent my entire teenage years fucking whoever it was available at the nearest brothel just to get through my ruts. Is it possible there's an Uchiha child out there? Maybe. I've done my fair share of fucking faceless omegas. And you're saying, Naruto, who's never, ever had a partner other than me, is pregnant with someone else's child? Are you dense, in denial, or just stupid?"

She stands there frozen, unable to say anything.

"Naruto did not tie me to him with this child. Even if I didn't know I put it in him, I'm glad I did," Sasuke has half a brain to keep to himself that maybe it's him that's tying Naruto to him with a child. "Get your shit together, Sakura, you're annoying,"

Sakura gasps. Suddenly she feels 12 years old again, that time when she said the same to Naruto, only to be told the very same thing by Sasuke.

"Let me make it very clear. You and I are not friends. Only Naruto will be here for you when you get a grip,"

Sasuke leaves her in the alley.

As usual, Sasuke is back home at a little after noon.

"Tadaima," he calls from the genkan.

"Okaeri!" comes Naruto's voice from deeper in the house.

Sasuke finds some yakisoba, dumplings, and cold tea ready for him. "That looks good," he says as he sits Naruto down, then settles himself beside his mate.

"Thanks!" Naruto gives him a kiss to his cheek. "Though, I'm not sure if I overcooked the vegetables though, or salted them too much," Naruto picks up his chopsticks.

"Itadakimasu," they chorus, and Sasuke digs into his noodles.

"It's good," the alpha says with a full mouth. "And your dumplings look less ugly,"

Naruto grins at him, preening at the compliment. He's getting the hang of cooking and he enjoys making lots to send to their teachers, too. "They're going to look even less ugly soon!" he shoves one into his mouth. "I set some raw ones aside in the freezer for Baa-chan, and Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei,"

Sasuke nods, and they eat in relative silence. Naruto finishes first since he can't eat too much, while Sasuke goes for seconds to let Naruto know his food is delicious.

"Oh, I forgot," says Naruto, patting his belly. "Baa-chan came by this morning and told me to go see her when you come back,"

"What for?"

"She says she wants to check if I've dropped or started dilating," he takes a gulp of the cold oolong. Naruto senses Sasuke tense. "I don't feel any different, I promise. She mentioned it's normal to dilate this early. I guess that'll mean a shorter labor! I hope!"

They clear the table, and then later when the dishes are washed, the leftover food set aside in the fridge, they're cuddling in bed, resting. Naruto is reading his baby books, and Sasuke is reading the etiquette book again.

"Naruto," Sasuke puts the book down.

"Mm?"

"I'm going to tell you something, but I need you to stay calm,"

Naruto stares up at him. "Okay," he says slowly.

"I ran into Sakura today," Sasuke feels Naruto freeze beside him. "And I told her to fuck off,"

"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaims in surprise. "That's mean, why would you do that?"

"Mean? Naruto, she was cruel to you," Sasuke argues. "Mean is when she kept ignoring you when we were kids. She wanted to feel good about herself by being mean to you because she didn't like you. That's schoolyard mean. Cruel is when she tries to come on to me to intentionally hurt you without a reason. She's spiteful because I love you, I chose you, when I never even looked at her,"

"But she's our friend!"

"Not to me. Naruto, you said so yourself, you didn't tell her I was the one who got you pregnant because you thought she wouldn't take it well. If you already thought that way, what does that say about what you think about her? If she's willing hurt you purposefully to get my attention, your mate's attention, then she's not your friend either,"

"Then she's my friend! We're her friends!" Naruto insists, even if they haven't seen each other in a long time, even if Baa-chan told him to stay away from her. "I don't… I don't want to hurt people, Sasuke. I know what that's like,"

Sasuke sees Naruto's lip wobble, and the omega starts to cry.

Naruto doesn't say that Sasuke's probably hurt Sakura the most, ever since they were children. He doesn't say, he'll never say, that Sasuke's hurt him more than anyone's ever hurt him, but he stayed being his friend because Sasuke needed him, because he loved Sasuke more than any hurt he could ever give. "Getting hurt by friends… hurts more than getting hurt by strangers, so Sasuke, please, let's not hurt her any more than we have. We're her friends,"

The alpha sighs, pulling his mate closer to him. Naruto buries himself in Sasuke's neck. Sasuke decides to forgo telling Naruto about what Sakura had to say about the baby.

"Well," says Tsunade after giving Naruto his checkup. "You've dropped and your cervix is starting to ripen,"

"Oh, oh!" Naruto pipes up. "I know that one! The baby book says, that means I'm getting ready to go into labor, right?"

"Yes," the sannin can't help but give Naruto a smile. He really has his heart, soul, and mind into this.

"This early?" asks Sasuke, patting Naruto's thigh.

Tsunade scribbles into Naruto's file. "It takes a long time to ready the body for labor. It doesn't mean he'll start labor soon,"

Naruto rubs the underside of his belly. "Aw, but Baa-chan," he pouts. "I thought it'd be sooner. I pee all the time and sometimes I can't even make it to the toilet,"

The blonde doctor shakes her head fondly. "That's what happens when the baby drops, Naruto. The head pushes into your bladder. But know that the baby is in the right position, head down. Let's just hope he's not as rambunctious as you, and suddenly decide to flip over,"

The omega groans. "He wouldn't! He's a good boy!" he says with a pout. "I can't even get that much food down—I have no more room in here for him to do flips!"

"You'll probably start to dilate and lose your plug soon, too. Not too much, maybe up to three centimeters over the next few weeks," she flips to the next page. "Naruto, listen very carefully. You've had your fair share of bleeds and cramps, but since your cervix is ripening, you will get discharge with blood and you will get more false labor cramps,"

Naruto lets out a tiny gasp and he reaches out for Sasuke's hand.

"It's normal," Tsunade stresses, feeling the anxiety roll off her surrogate grandson in waves. "I know that scares you but remember that a little bit of bloody discharge from now on is normal. That's what happens when your body is preparing for labor and birth. Your mucus plug you'll lose soon. It will have a different texture from your usual discharge, thicker, more jelly like and it's possible it will have blood, too. Losing it doesn't mean you'll start labor immediately. Do you understand?"

The omega nods.

"Since we're on the subject of your impending labor, there's a few more things I need to tell you,"

Naruto frowns and squeezes Sasuke's hand. "Is it more bad news?"

"I'm not sure," Tsunade sighs. "We know the Nine-Tails chakra is what keeps you healthy and heals you faster than even I can heal you, and it would be ideal if you had his and your own chakra while giving birth to help you heal immediately. But look, Naruto, I'm going to be honest with you, I don't know what giving you back your full chakra before the pregnancy ends will do to you. If, with your chakra unblocked, emotional stress is enough to make you bleed and worsen your false labor cramps, there is no assurance that your body is stable enough to welcome that much chakra back without risking the child. Labor is a physically, emotionally, mentally stressful ordeal. When the child is safely out of you then I'll heal you as best and as fast as I can, let you rest, and give you your chakra back slowly,"

Naruto, scared but accepting the risks, nods. "I trust you, Baa-chan,"

Tsunade gives him a nod of thanks. "Alright, you're done. See you when you're in labor,"

"Yes, please," says Naruto as Sasuke heaves him off the chair. "I don't know if I can keep riding the rickshaw, but I don't want to portal—can we get cake?" he turns to Sasuke.

Tsunade shakes her head.

"Arigatou gozaimasu," says Sasuke.

"Learn some manners from Uchiha, you brat,"

"Bye, Baa-chan!"

Sasuke presses a chakra warmed hand against Naruto's lower back where his spine meets his hips.

"Right there!" Naruto groans. "Nnngh!" lying on his left side, he grips onto Sasuke's pillow, burying his face in.

The alpha isn't going to lie and say these moans aren't doing anything for him. Every single moan sends vibrations from Naruto's throat and chest, down his spine, transferring to Sasuke's hand that travels faster than lightning down to Sasuke's dick. But Naruto is uncomfortable with his body that is no longer just his own, sharing it with their unborn child that is dependent on him to safely birth him.

Naruto lets out another strangled groan. "Harder! There, right there!"

"I can't press any harder, dobe," Sasuke sighs. "You'll break something,"

"But it hurts!" the omega whines. "My back hurts,"

"I'm sorry," Sasuke leans in to kiss his shoulder.

"Everything hurts," Naruto sniffles. "Sasuke-papa, even my boobs hurt,"

"Doesn't that mean they're filling up with milk?" Sasuke continues to massage Naruto's back. "So the baby can eat when he comes out?"

"They're so big now, too!" Naruto continues complaining. "I have to wrap them in the morning to keep them from bouncing around because they hurt all the time. But I hope I can make enough milk for him," he exhales, pulls Sasuke's hand from his back to his belly.

Sasuke feels a limb ripple through the skin and touch his hand.

"Sasuke…"

"Hmm?"

"What Baa-chan said today," he pauses. "I'm scared,"

The alpha freezes.

"I'm scared that I'm not strong enough to get him out healthy. Alive,"

"Naruto," Sasuke doesn't miss a beat. "If I have to choose between your life and the baby's, I'll choose yours,"

Naruto doesn't answer to that. "If this is the only chance we have for a child, and I can't do it, will you forgive me?"

"There won't be anything to forgive,"

"Even if I promised you children?"

"Even so. It will never be your fault, Naruto. Never."

So why does it feel like it will weigh on his heart like it will be?

"Help me pee?"

Ever the dutiful mate, Sasuke lifts Naruto up to his feet.

Kakashi comes to visit them after sundown, past eight in the evening, when at they're at the engawa having tea and biscuits.

"Sensei!" says Naruto in surprise when the silver-haired shinobi joins them. "What are you doing over so late?"

"I've got something for Sasuke-kun," he pulls his mask down and holds up a document envelope and hands it over to his child's mate. "Hai, douzo, muko-kun," Here you go, son-in-law.

"Muko-kun?" Naruto stares up at Kakashi, unable to believe his ears.

Sasuke and Kakashi take a seat next to Naruto as the Uchiha takes the folder and peruses its contents. "Oh," he mumbles. "Thank you,"

"My pleasure!" Kakashi grins at Naruto.

"What is it?" Naruto asks, "Can I see?"

Sasuke hands it over.

Naruto gasps. It's Sasuke's application for a civil union, stamped with the red seal of the approval of the Rokudaime. Every shinobi needs the approval of the their kage when applying for a union. "When did you apply for this—" he pauses when he sees the application date. "This is when you arrived!"

"Yes,"

"Then why is it getting approved only now?" Naruto asks, because he knows it doesn't actually take that long to have it approved. Then he at frowns at Kakashi. "You bullied him!" he hits the Hokage with the piece of paper.

"Now, now," Kakashi says placatingly, "In my defense, this piece document was endorsed to me by the Godaime, since she received the application and was the Hokage during the time Sasuke submitted the document and I was busy when Sasuke submitted it a second time,"

"You both bullied him!"

"It's okay," Sasuke takes the piece of paper before Naruto can hit Kakashi with it again and further crumple it. "It's here now,"

"It's a shame, though," says Naruto, watching Sasuke insert the piece of paper back into the folder. "Not that I don't want to marry you and take your name, Sasuke, but I just got a new name, and I'm still kind of enjoying it,"

The confession seizes Kakashi's heart. "I'm glad you're enjoying my name,"

Naruto snickers. "It sensei's precious name and it scares a lot of people," mostly he's just glad people aren't allowed to be discriminatory to him anymore. He still loves this village, but it's just a breath of fresh air to just exist, even if that existence comes with a blanket of protection.

Kakashi chuckles. "You've been scaring people?"

"When Sasuke and I are at the market and we drop by any of the stalls that were mean to me when we were kids, I'd go, 'Do you think Kakashi-papa would like some buns? I could drop by the tower' and teme here would drag me away because he thinks calling you Papa is embarrassing,"

Sasuke's brow twitches. "You're 23 years old!"

"I'm an omega and I can call my father Papa if I want to, teme, and nobody's going to judge me," Naruto sticks a tongue out at Sasuke.

Kakashi laughs.

Iruka arrives not long after, and he and Kakashi stay longer than intended just chatting with their boys over tea.

Naruto doesn't bother Sasuke when he's at the Hokage Tower and the cramps come on, or when his anxiety flares when he wipes himself and sees bloody discharge. He knows it's wrong, to be regressing back to his old self of not asking for help. The sight of the blood can shake and tear him up every time in the bathroom, shaking as he throws the tissue away into the trash bin, wrapped in more tissue so Sasuke doesn't see. He asks Kaede not to tell Sasuke, and she worries and discourages this secrecy, but Naruto begs her keep it to herself.

It's halfway through his thirty seventh week, Sasuke's second week of paternity leave. After Naruto absently expressed worry to Iruka that Sasuke's being away so much with him being so near to popping, he'd told Kakashi to let Sasuke off.

"Sasuke!"

"What?" Sasuke comes back into the bathroom.

Naruto grabs Sasuke's sleeve and shows him the tissue paper he just used to wipe himself. On it is an incredible amount of thick, jelly like discharge with a smear of blood. "I think the plug came out,"

"Oh," is the only thing Sasuke can think of saying in the few moments that he's staring at the piece of soiled tissue. "Should we call Tsunade-san?"

The omega gasps, his pulling on Sasuke's sleeve harder.

"What? What is it?"

The cramp goes away as quickly as it comes. Naruto exhales. "Just… the false labor cramps,"

"You've been having them?"

"Yes," Naruto throws away the soiled tissue and gives himself some more wipes until the discharge is mostly gone.

Why didn't Naruto tell him? "Do they hurt?" he asks, helping Naruto off the toilet seat.

"Not as much as I thought they would," Naruto fixes his obi back on. "It's scary every time it happens, but I try to keep calm and tell myself it's normal, so I don't panic like I did that night. It still really scares me though. I just didn't want to bother you,"

Sasuke brushes the blond bangs back. "It's my job as your mate, your fiancé," he taps Naruto's nose, reprimanding him. "To be bothered by everything you go through. Understand?"

"Wakatteru 'tteba yo," I knooooww. Naruto whines and pouts. "I'm sorry,"

Sasuke kisses his forehead. "C'mon, dobe, you'll get some rest and I'll go out and get you more pads,"

"Will you massage my back?" Naruto lets himself be put to bed to keep the weight off his back and hips, and to ease the swelling in his feet.

"Sure," says Sasuke, fixing up the pillows under Naruto's belly and between his legs. "I'll be back with your pads, and then I'll give you that massage. Stay. In. Bed."

"Hai, hai,"

Sasuke sends out a hawk to Tsunade to update her before going out for the grocery store for the pads.

As he's walking home, it dawns on Sasuke the reality of what's going to happen in the next few weeks. There's a danger they can't fathom or see. It's not something neither can get rid of despite all the power they have.