"Oh,"

That's probably the tenth consecutive cramp he's had in the last three hours, and considerably more intense and significantly longer than the last. He's been timing it, to make sure that it's actually labor.

Naruto takes a few moments to breathe through it, anxiety flaring up once again. This is it. The baby's coming. He's known for a while now, that he's coming. Ever since Tsunade told him he's dropped, he keeps nesting. Trying to fix the house when there's nothing to fix, keeps stealing Sasuke's clothes, rearranging the blankets on the bed, putting his and Sasuke's clothes in the crib.

"That settles it then," he says patting his enormous belly in an attempt to calm himself. "Aki-chan, you made me too big and now it's time to come out," he pops the onigiri he just finished preparing into the fridge.

He makes a portion only for Sasuke since Naruto can't bear the thought of eating right now. There is literally no more space in him. He makes his way out of the small kitchen into the hall, to the backyard where Kaede is as usual, doing the laundry.

"Kaede-san," he calls out to her, "I'll be going to the gate for a little. I need to talk to the ANBU-san,"

"Do you need me to come with you?"

"No need. I'll only be a while,"

He really wished Sasuke didn't have to show up at the tower today. Kakashi-sensei might have needed him for something important.

Naruto slips his swollen feet into his slippers at the genkan and heads for the gate. He's seen himself walk and it's embarrassing how the weight of his belly makes him waddle. He hopes the ANBU is near, and he wouldn't have to stay too long.

He opens the gate and stands at the gap between the doors. "ANBU-san?" he calls.

The masked shinobi appears in front of him. "Hai, Omusuko-sama,"

He sighs. They still won't stop doing that. "Right, um, please inform the Rokudaime-sama and Chuunin Uchiha at the tower, Academy Headmaster Hatake, and Hospital Director Tsunade-sama that my labor has started, and my contractions are 18 minutes apart. Thank you,"

"Ryoukai shita," Understood.

The ANBU flickers out of sight and Naruto closes the gates and goes back inside.

"Hokage-sama,"

The same ANBU appears in Kakashi's office, where he, Shizune, and Sasuke are working on a pile of papers.

"O-musuko-sama sent me to inform you that his labor has started—"

Kakashi, Shizune, and Sasuke snap their attention to the ANBU.

"—and that his contractions are 18 minutes apart."

"LABOR!" Kakashi squeaks and papers fly into the air. It's unbecoming for the Hokage.

Sasuke grabs his bag from the couch near the Hokage's desk and makes a beeline for his coat by the coat hanger by the door. He knew he shouldn't have come in today. If only matters of public and foreign peace could fuck off so he could focus on his pregnant mate.

Shizune is enjoying the sight of panicking father and son-in-law.

Kakashi himself is removing the Hokage's cloak from his shoulders. "Did you inform Iruka?"

"Hai. O-Danna-sama is on the way to the Uchiha compound,"

"Go back to your post,"

"Ryoukai shita," Understood.

Sasuke's gone, probably ported back home, and Kakashi leaves his office, hails a random chuunin, and asks for Nara Shikamaru to handle things with Shizune. He too disappears.

"Okay, mind telling me why the Hokage-sama is dumping all this work on me?" Shikamaru drawls at Shizune who's returned to her paperwork after the commotion.

"Nara-san, the first grandchild of the Rokudaime Hokage-sama is about to be born!" she cheerfully informs him.

Shikamaru groans. "The First Family is so troublesome," but he goes and asks someone to inform Kiba.

Sasuke arrives home to find that Naruto is… napping. In their nest. Their bed is surrounded with pillows and blankets, and Sasuke's clothes, even one of his cloaks had wound up in there.

"Naruto?"

The blond blinks his eyes open. "Sasuke?" he mumbles. "What time is it?"

"Little after eleven thirty,"

"Teme, I just fell asleep," he frowned, then yawned. "I feel awful so let me sleep a little bit? Baa-chan says it's going to take a while so I should get some rest for later,"

"Okay, okay," Sasuke sheds his coat, deposits it into the nest, and presses a kiss to Naruto's temple. "Call if it feels worse, okay?"

But Naruto's already fallen back asleep.

About ten minutes later, Kakashi and Iruka make their way into the living area where Sasuke and Kaede have tea prepared.

"How is he?" Iruka asks worriedly. "Do we need to bring him to the hospital?"

Sasuke shakes his head. "He wants to sleep first," he answers, "Tsunade-san mentioned it will be a while before he'll have to go, but once he wakes, I'd like to take him there immediately. He's high risk after all,"

"Alright," says Iruka, "I'll have to go back to the academy first and wrap up some things and come back as soon as I can,"

"I'll stay here," says Kakashi, "Help with preparations if any,"

Iruka gives Kakashi a kiss, then leaves.

The contractions come and go, and Naruto wakes about an hour later asking to be taken to the hospital.

"Is it getting worse?" Sasuke asks as he helps Naruto into a fresh yukata, then sets him down on the bed.

In the sealed master bedroom, Naruto can speak. "It's not that," he tells Sasuke, breathing through a contraction that lasts about fifteen seconds, the last one about fifteen minutes ago. A three minute difference in an hour is a big jump. "I'm scared," he pants. "Sasuke. I'm scared,"

"I'm here for you," is all Sasuke can think of to say. "Let me know how to help you,"

"I don't know," Naruto chokes out from a sob he's been trying to hold in since he woke up from a particularly strong contraction, which reminds him that he's in labor. "I don't know," he says again. "What if he's not healthy? What if he's sick because I'm not strong enough? What if I can't do it?"

"Hey, hey," Sasuke tries his best to keep calm, even though he's scared to out of his mind, too. Naruto isn't afraid for his own health and is only thinking about the child. "Whatever happens, it's not your fault, and I love you,"

Naruto will never be able to think that it's not his fault. It will be no one else's fault but his own because he's not good enough. What kind of omega is he? If he can't do what this cursed body is supposed to be good at?

"I'll portal you to the hospital, okay?" he says, "Do you think you can walk through it?"

Naruto shakes his head. He doesn't want to throw up.

"Naruto, I think it's better if Kakashi-san carries you. Is that alright?"

"If it's okay with him," he sniffles.

"Okay,"

Naruto refuses to be put down in a wheelchair to be pushed by a beta nurse he doesn't know. He whines and buries his forehead and nose into Kakashi's neck, distressed and begging for comfort. Kakashi gestures for the nurse to scram, Tsunade leads them to a private room, and Kakashi lowers him down on the bed. Tsunade is right by Naruto piercing some fluids into his hand to keep him hydrated.

Naruto hasn't eaten much the last few days. He's tired and everything is creaky and achy, but can't find a good enough position in bed. It's hours of this, shifting and shifting, breathing through the contractions that feel like they lengthen by ten seconds every time they come. His water breaks about three hours in, and Sasuke has to change Naruto out of his gown and let the nurses clean up the bed too.

"Are you," Naruto pants, forehead resting on Sasuke's shoulder. "Excited to meet him?"

"Of course," replies Sasuke, pressing a cool towel on Naruto's neck.

"He'll look like you, I'm sure," he raises his head and meets Sasuke's eyes. Suddenly he feels emotional and choked up, and tears fall down his round, whiskered cheeks. He keeps talking to distract himself because he's scared; to keep Sasuke distracted because anything bad that happens today, it's nothing but Naruto's own fault.

He'd do anything for this child to be healthy. If Akihiko isn't healthy it's his fault. He'd never forgive himself.

"What's wrong?"

"He's gonna be so handsome and look like you," Naruto sobs. "Teme, you're gonna have family again,"

Sasuke chuckles and gives Naruto several kisses to his lips. "What if he looks like you?"

"No, he has to look like you! He'll be everybody's crush like you when we were kids, and you're gonna teach him katon, and he'll be so smart—nnghhhhh!" Naruto press his nose into Sasuke's neck, breathing in his scent and aching to bite. It's the only thing that can keep him lucid right now.

Akihiko can't look like him. He can't. What if they shun him, too? Because he looks like that cursed fox demon jinchuuriki. If he looks like Sasuke, they'll like him. They won't ignore him at the market or shun him if he wants to play with other kids. The Uchiha name will carry power and protection; it will demand respect.

"Breathe, breathe," Sasuke has to remind him, massaging his lower back like he always does as he counts.

When it ebbs, Naruto is sobbing into his shoulder. "That was so much longer—please, make it stop, please,"

Kakashi, who's been there the entire time, helping when asked, goes out to fetch Tsunade. When he comes back with the former hokage in tow, Naruto is in the middle of another contraction.

"Baa-chan!" he begs through chest wracking sobs, "Can you do something? Please!"

She checks his dilation, then reaches into the opening in the back of his gown and places a seal at the base of his spine. "What about now?"

"Why… didn't you do that… sooner," he groans, the exhaustion catching up with him as the seal numbs his entire lower half.

"It's only done when you're dilated enough," she says, pouring him a glass of water. "Drink, then get some sleep,"

Wearily, Naruto takes a few sips of the water and falls back onto the bed and is asleep almost immediately.

"I'll be checking his dilation more often from now on since we have him numbed," she peeks. "He's nearly there. Six centimeters, but that doesn't mean he'll be ready to start pushing any time soon. For now, let him get some rest,"

Sasuke hopes it will be soon, so that Naruto's pain will be over.

The transition from Naruto's guttural scream to a child's triumphant first cry is music to Sasuke's ears.

Tsunade quicky cuts the cord and hands the child over to a resident doctor, who quickly cleans the child up and sets him down on a basinet to check him over and measure the vitals.

"Healthy so far," says the resident doctor over the shrill cries of a newborn baby boy. "A boy. Alpha. Two point nine kilograms," (b)

Sasuke, with Naruto's heavy, exhausted form in his arm, kisses his mate's sweaty temple. "You did so well, so well, Naruto,"

"So that's why… he was so heavy…" Naruto, panting, smiles up wearily at a blurry Sasuke, who's seeing everything through the Sharingan. "I promised you… a healthy… baby…"

"Someone get Sakura," Tsunade barks as her hands glow from between Naruto's legs. "Uchiha. Get out,"

"What?" Sasuke gets a glimpse of more blood than he wants to see.

A nurse runs out of the room, then another guides him away from his mate, and Sasuke is forced to let Naruto down on the bed. "Uchiha-sama," she says urgently.

"No, what's happening?" Sasuke's limbs have never felt so cold. He turns back to Naruto whose breathing is becoming shallow. There's too much blood on the lower half of the bed. "What's happening!"

The door is closed in front of him.

"Sasuke-kun!" comes Iruka's voice. "What's going on? Is Naruto-kun okay?"

Sasuke turns around to face his future in laws, who've gotten up from their seats at the waiting area right outside of Naruto's room. "I don't…" he's frozen. Why is he frozen? "I don't know…"

Why does the ring on his finger feel like it's going to tear his arm right from his shoulder? Why can't he turn the Sharingan off? He doesn't want this burned into his mind.

He sees Sakura come running down the hall and into the room, together with the nurse who went to fetch her. She doesn't regard Sasuke.

"He was fine—he…" Sasuke again looks at the door, then back at the worried faces of his mate's parents. His hand is shaking. "The baby was crying, and Tsunade-san just sent me out—I don't know what's going on—and she…"

Iruka rushes to pull Sasuke into a crushing hug. "He's fine," he says with conviction. "He'll be fine,"

Sasuke finds himself gripping for Naruto's life onto Iruka.

They're guided away from Naruto's room. Sasuke wants to tell the nurse to fuck off, but Iruka's hand on his shoulder calms him down, and they're brought to a different waiting area, a private one, probably because they're the first family.

About half an hour of waiting without any information on Naruto's health, a nurse enters the room. "Tsunade-sama and Sakura-san are still with Naruto-san, but we can take you to see your baby, Uchiha-san,"

Sasuke's staring at the ceiling, and it takes a moment to get himself to look at the nurse. Right. The baby. Naruto had the baby.

"Sasuke-kun," says Kakashi, "Go see your baby,"

Would he be a terrible person, mate, husband, father, son-in-law, if he said he didn't want to? He wants Naruto.

But he finds himself following the nurse.

From behind a glass pane, she presents him with his son. Naruto was right. The boy looks exactly like him. Some part of him really wished they'd get a blond baby. He's a small thing, with black hair just like his, tiny nose, and full cheeks like Naruto's, laying wrapped in a bassinet labeled 'O-mago-sama.' Honorable Grandson.

"He's very healthy, Uchiha-san," says the nurse.

"He needs his mother healthy, too,"

She flinches. "I… don't know about Naruto-san's condition," she lowers her head. "I'm assigned to the nursery,"

Her words don't register. Sasuke can only look at the child in the bassinet.

There's no use putting the blame on himself, but he does. If he hadn't taken so long coming back. He's always thought of it, but never really decided to go through with it. Until Naruto stopped sending letters. Naruto sent letters twice, sometimes thrice a week. It didn't sit right with him when months had passed, and he hadn't received a single letter. At first, he thought maybe Naruto's been busy with his studies, but then even more weeks passed. Something was wrong. He then headed for Konoha.

If he had just come back when Naruto asked him to, this whole pregnancy would've been relatively problem free. He could've… stopped all of this discrimination, the emotional and mental anguish on Naruto. He could've been his rock, his support, like Naruto had always been for him.

Naruto would've been healthy.

"Can Naruto's parents come see him?" he asks, heart weighing heavier and heavier as the minutes pass.

"Yes," she says, "We can bring him to Naruto-san's new room later for skin to skin,"

"Right. Thanks," he goes to fetch Kakashi and Iruka.

Sasuke wishes he had the reaction of their former teachers. Joy, excitement, love. A little bit reserved, since Naruto's health is unsure, but the sentiment is there. He doesn't have the emotional capacity to pretend to care about the child right now when he doesn't know how Naruto is doing.

It's two agonizing hours before Tsunade enters the waiting area they were put in.

"He's fine," she says.

And the weight of the world feels like they've lifted from their shoulders. It's the first time since this morning that Sasuke feels like he can breathe properly.

"I need you to understand that Naruto is on medication right now and may not wake up immediately or sooner than you think," she says. She's tired, but in this room is her family now.

"What happened?" Sasuke asks.

"He bled out and his blood pressure dropped. He received two units of blood. Exhaustion, most likely. He hasn't been getting decent sleep or eating much the last few days, right? That's something that happens normally, but since this pregnancy has been complicated since the start, it was probably just waiting to happen,"

"But he's okay now?"

"Yes. We'll be unblocking chakra in the next few days to let him heal, let the fox heal him. Naruto mentioned the fox is sleeping, but that doesn't mean the chakra isn't flowing. Healing doesn't mean he'll be back to his pre-pregnancy body right away. I will still be personally checking up on him from time to time and aid in the healing. He'll be on a lot of fluids, and when he wakes, let him eat everything, ramen not included, to encourage recovery and milk flow. Should it be disrupted, which I doubt, we'll give him something to help him produce more milk,"

"When can he go home?" Iruka asks. "Would he need help when he goes home?"

"We'll see how fast he recovers," she answers, "For now, even though we're slowly giving him back his access to his chakra, he's not allowed to use or spend it at all until he's fully recovered. At least three months, to make sure everything is healed completely. Come with me. He was moved to another room,"

Naruto should never look this sick, is what Sasuke thinks as he approaches the bed. He's the personification of the sun, summer and spring, bright, shining, and warm. Never pale, sickly, thin, and frail.

He takes the bandaged hand and brings the knuckles to his lips.

"What about the baby? Has he eaten?" Kakashi asks.

"He'll be down in a while. He'll be given formula until Naruto wakes up, or we can use donated breastmilk, and then you'll feed him while giving him skin to skin contact," answers Tsunade.

Naruto wanted to breastfeed. He always worried that he wouldn't be able to make enough milk. "We'll take the donated breastmilk," says Sasuke.

"I'll help," says Iruka, "With the skin to skin, too,"

Tsunade nods. "Wear something of Naruto's for now, to help with the scenting. I'll send a nurse with the milk,"

"Thank you," Sasuke nods at her. He means it with every fiber of his being.

Sasuke is in the waiting couch outside of Naruto's room having the shitty instant green tea from the vending machine around the corner. It's never going to be as good as the special ones Naruto tries desperately to afford with his meager earnings from the tower, even if Sasuke can provide for him.

Sakura approaches him, out of her hospital scrubs and bag slung on her shoulder. She looks terrible. Her hair isn't as neat as it usually is, her skin is dull, and has dark bags under her eyes; she probably just got off her shift. She bites her lip, unable to endure the silence her former teammate is giving her. "Sasuke-kun…"

"Thank you for your help, Sakura," he says. He means it, but he really doesn't want her around right now.

She gives him a nod. "He…" she starts. "He told me to take care of you and Akihiko,"

Don't hurt him. It's not his fault. He's a baby.

"Akihiko is a beautiful name," she continues. "But I told him to take care of you and the Akihiko himself. He still has much to accomplish. That includes raising your son together and watch him grow up. I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. Maybe one day I can face the both of you and apologize to Naruto to his face. But right now, I can't. Tsunade-shishou will care for you from now on. Oyasuminasai, O-muko-sama," Goodnight, Son-In-Law. She bows.

Sasuke watches her leave.

Naruto wakes up the next morning, to Sasuke, Iruka, and Kakashi's relief. The baby is in the nursery still since it's early morning and the sun just rose, but Kakashi goes up and asks for him because he knows they won't be able to deny him.

"How are you feeling?" Sasuke asks, quickly going for the glass of water beside him and presses the straw to Naruto's chapped lips.

"The baby?" Naruto rasps, after a sip of water, bringing his hand up to his empty but still bloated and swollen belly. "My baby…"

"Kakashi went to get him," Iruka appears at his side. "Does anything hurt?"

His entire hip region aches. His womb hurts. Naruto guesses that happens when he just pushed an almost three kilogram child out of him. "I need him," he says, grabbing onto the bed's railing to sit up.

Sasuke and Iruka pull him up, and a moment later, there's a knock on the door, and a nurse enters with a bassinet. Iruka steps aside for the nurse.

"Mama, are you feeling well enough to see your baby?" the nurse says with a smile as she places the infant in Naruto's arms.

"Sasuke," Naruto chokes, tears starting to fall as he receives his baby. "Sasuke, he's here,"

Sasuke presses forehead to Naruto's, enveloping them with his protective pheromones. "Yes, he's here," finally, Sasuke gets a good look at the child he almost didn't want to look at just hours ago.

Naruto gives Sasuke a kiss before looking at his baby some more. "Look at him," he sobs, completely and utterly in love with the child in his arms. "He's perfect, oh my god. Sasuke, look at him,"

"I'm looking,"

"He looks like you," Naruto takes the small hand into his and presses his lips against the tiny fingers. "I told you he'd look like you—Sasuke, look at how handsome he is, oh my god,"

Maybe it's still the hormones raging in Naruto's body, maybe it's the fierce kind of love that's overwhelming him, maybe it's the long-awaited relief for the safe delivery of his child, maybe it's the euphoric glee of finally having their son whole and healthy in his arms, that Naruto can't stop crying tears of joy.

"Hi baby," Naruto tearily coos at the sleeping infant. "I'm Mama. I'm glad you're okay," he's here, and Naruto feels like a kunai stuck in his heart this entire time has been pulled out. "Sasuke-papa is here for you,"

Sasuke nuzzles Naruto's temple. He feels… content. Hopeful. Relieved. Happy. How he managed to just leave the child in the nursery earlier that day without asking to hold him, he doesn't know. But looking at Naruto and their child now, he knows he'll never let them go, never let them out of his sight. He knows the next few years will be all trouble, having a small child, but he feels ready to face it all. He has Naruto with him after all.

"Kaa-chan, Tou-chan," Naruto looks up when he's gathered his breath. "Come meet your grandson. Come meet Akihiko,"

Tsunade comes in later to check on him. Kakashi's gone back to the tower since he's been away for too long already, and Iruka's still in the room with them eating up his paid days off to spend with them and the baby but is currently out buying them food.

Naruto's been given porridge with a soft boiled egg and tea to start him on an all you can eat diet.

"Baa-chan!"

Despite the tiredness on Naruto's face, he looks so engaged and bright, staring at the baby like he can't get enough of him.

"How are you feeling?"

"Sore but I'm good!" he answers, "Baa-chan, come meet Akihiko!"

Like Tsunade isn't the one to deliver this child.

"Aki-chan," he coos at the hungry infant stuck to his breast, "Tsunade-baa-chan is here to see you. She took care of you so well,"

"Akihiko?" says Tsunade, the name rolling off the tongue smoothly. "Good name,"

Naruto grins at her. "Hey, Baa-chan, thank you for taking care of us,"

Tsunade pinches Naruto's cheek. "It's my job to take care of you, you brat,"

Akihiko pulls off Naruto. The elder sannin watches as the new mom adjusts the infant in his arms, wiping the milk off the tiny mouth and pressing his nose to the small head.

"May I?"

Naruto hands over the infant.

"Hello, Uchiha Akihiko. A pleasure to finally meet you," Tsunade says, releasing some protective pheromones over the small child and the new mother who'd just given birth. These two are her family. "You better not be as stubborn as your mother,"

Naruto chuckles. "Sasuke will set him straight,"

"I'm sure he will," Tsunade places the child back in Naruto's arms.

It's declared a special public holiday so that Kakashi can stay a day longer at the hospital without much work piling or too many consequences. The Hokage's first grandchild is born after all.

Iruka takes countless pictures of them, even the less dignified ones of Naruto feeding, a full, engorged breast on display. "It's for the baby album!" he defends the photo, "So that Aki-chan sees just how much his Mama loves him!"

Of course Naruto loves him. He's never wanted someone so badly in his life. He's come close to losing Akihiko so many times, but Tsunade didn't give up on them. Earlier in his pregnancy, he'd come to terms that Sasuke might never return, and he'll be okay with it because he had Akihiko with him. He also had the danger of losing Akihiko since he couldn't get healthy enough. But now he has both Sasuke and their baby and Naruto finds himself crying out of the blue.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke rushes to his side.

"You're here," Naruto sobs, "That night you came back, I thought I'd lose him or have him without you. Thought he wouldn't have a papa and I'd raise him alone. I thought he'd be born sick because I wasn't healthy enough. I thought I'd lose him, and it would hurt even worse than losing you all over again,"

"I'm here,"

"Aki-chan, Sasuke-papa is here for you,"

"I'm here for both of you,"

Notes

(b) that's 6.4lbs for the people who use the other measuring system.

anyways i didn't want to cut this chapter into a cliff hanger cos c'mon, you really think i'll do anything bad to naru-mama after 17 chapters of angst?