I said I'd update the 16th, sorry to say it's much later than I anticipated. Needed a little inspiration halfway through writing this chapter so I found a picture and went with it. Which means yes, the dream and the scene following it was not originally the plan. Accidentally posted an old copy of this chapter, reposted.
Also note- the move that Sasuke uses in a later part of this chapter is a move I learned in a self-defense class years ago. I have learned since that it is neither the best nor most effective way to break an unwanted grip from an attacker. Please don't attempt to use it in real life without learning more about how to properly defend yourself.
Thank you to 1animegal, SweetHunniiBunnii, yukino76, Pixie07, and Guest for reviewing! Thanks for being patient with me and letting me know you enjoyed the last chapter!
*IMPORTANT NOTICE!* As of 03/16/16, this chapter has NOT been EDITED because it already abides the FFN guidelines.
I am abiding by FFN ratings and removing-anything overtly dark or violent, and the scenes of complete and unrepentant smut that are considered MA, from this site. I do this in order to protect reviews linked to my stories and account that I want to keep from anyone with an email account, hate for my stories, and want my account banned for whatever their weak excuses may be.
Warnings: Contains adult language, themes, and suggestions. It is not suitable for anyone below the age of 16 per FFN guidelines.
December 17th, the thirty-second week,
He knew where he was; he'd been here before. Glancing around, Sasuke took in the rubble and ruin. The earth was torn all around him, broken rocks, patches of dirt where grass had been ripped out. This was a battlefield.
"Why am I here?" Sasuke heard himself mutter. Walking deeper into the destruction, the Uchiha tried to remember how he knew this place. The farther he walked, the greater the destruction became. This was where most of the battle had taken place. When Sasuke found himself in front of a slab of rock nearly as tall as he was, he knew he couldn't jump. Looking down, he took in the sight of his swollen, pregnant stomach. What was he doing outside of Konoha, in a battlefield?
Walking around it, Sasuke continued looking for something that would explain why he was here. Turning a corner, the scene before the dark haired male brought all the memories back. He was leaning against a mound of rubble with Itachi right in front of him. Sasuke stopped breathing as he watched himself stare; scared to see his older brother standing just inches away.
Stepping forward, Sasuke let out a shaky breath as Itachi slowly raised two fingers and pressed them against the other Sasuke's forehead. 'Sorry, Sasuke.' Itachi whispered. The pregnant Uchiha didn't hear it, but he knew what his older brother had said. "This is the last time." Sasuke knew he didn't imagine hearing that. He stopped just a few feet from the scene as Itachi collapsed onto the ground, dead. Tears he didn't realize had formed ran down his cheeks, his breathing ragged as he watched his brother die before his eyes again.
"I'm sorry." Sasuke choked out. His voice cracked and he bowed his head, pressing the palm of his hand against his closed eyes to wipe away the tears.
"Don't be." The sound of Itachi's voice startled the dark haired male. Opening his eyes, the pregnant male was shocked to see his older brother standing in front of him. Itachi was clean of blood and debris now, his Akatsuki cloak immaculate but the lines under his eyes remained.
"This isn't real. You died." Sasuke whispered. He took a step back, not knowing how to react. Should he be afraid? Angry? Looking around, his younger self was nowhere to be found.
"I know." Itachi stated. The older Uchiha stared at Sasuke, seemingly taking in his appearance. Sasuke looked back, confused on how he should react, how he should feel at seeing his brother again. Those familiar obsidian eyes looked down, taking in the changes in the pregnant male's body. "Naruto is the father, I take it?"
"You're not surprised." Sasuke bit out. He didn't know what kind of reaction he expected but when his older brother smiled, Sasuke was dumbfounded.
"He loves you. I saw it, even when you were children." Itachi looked back up, the small, knowing smile still there. This was too much. Seeing his brother, talking to him, that he accepted his relationship with Naruto without even blinking.
"Itachi, I-I'm sorry-" Sasuke tried to apologize again.
"Do I need to repeat myself, little brother?" The dead Uchiha interrupted. He tilted his head to the side, his hair dropping in front of his face. Not knowing how to answer, the pregnant male could only stare at his dead older brother. "There's nothing to be sorry for."
"Onii-san." Sasuke tried to hold back more tears as his throat burned from cries he refused to let out.
"I'm proud of you." Itachi told him. The pregnant male inhaled shakily, his chest heaving as he held back his sobs. Pain erupted in his side, making the younger Uchiha gasp in surprise. He raised his hand to where the pain was coming from, his jaw dropping as a strange sensation engulfed him.
Sasuke realized the baby was kicking as soon as the discomfort ached in his side a second time. Blinking into fully aware consciousness, the dark haired male groaned and rolled onto his back, intent on turning onto his other side. He was stopped when he turned his head and came face to face with Naruto. Tilting his head back in surprise, the Uchiha scooted back, and continued to fidget in an attempt to get comfortable. His side was still aching.
"You okay?" Naruto asked. Readjusting the pillow between his legs, Sasuke thought about how to explain the swirl of emotions going through his mind.
"I was dreaming." The Uchiha explained.
"Good, bad, or weird?" He asked. Sasuke frowned as the blonde shifted, settling in to listen. Not knowing how to respond, the dark haired male focused his attention on the spot of drying drool on Naruto's pillow.
"I'm not sure." He finally answered.
"Want to tell me about it?" The blonde questioned. Itachi smiling at him ripped across his mind and seconds later the baby gave a soft kick. The little passenger was taking a break from the morning kicking routine.
"Don't you have to be at the training field?" Sasuke reached up to poke Naruto's chest with his pointer finger. He was avoiding the question and the blonde raised an eyebrow immediately.
"We're taking the morning to regroup. Apricot's seal is breaking down faster than we expected." Naruto explained. Frowning in concern, the dark haired male pressed his hand to his husband's chest. He could feel his heartbeat, a strong, steady pulse.
"How so?" The Uchiha pressed. Naruto's eyes narrowed and he raised his hand to cover the hand on his chest.
"You're trying to change the subject." The blonde pointed out. Sasuke watched him grin and barely restrained the urge to roll his eyes.
"Tell me." Sasuke responded adamantly. He didn't need to explain that Apricot's seal was more important than his dream.
"We think Kyuubi is trying to force his chakra through Apricot's seal, accelerating the degradation." Naruto told him calmly. He curled his fingers around the Uchiha's hand. "It gets worse when I'm in close proximity to her." Sasuke lifted his head, shocked that he was only just now hearing about it.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner? That is serious." With a soft grunt, he pulled his hand away. The Uchiha pressed his hand to the mattress and moved to sit up. The proverbial gears began spinning in his mind, what could he do to prolong Apricot's seal? Was there a way to stop Kyuubi? Naruto reached out, setting a hand on his shoulder to stop his struggling to sit upright.
"I know, but Kakashi and Yamato have it under control. You should be resting, not stressing this far into your pregnancy." The blonde assured him. Sasuke frowned, uncertain and trying to keep thinking of possible solutions as his mind focused on the blonde's last sentence.
"Taji-san told you that." Sasuke pointed out. Naruto bit his lower lip as he attempted to hide his smile. Letting his head fall back onto the pillow, Sasuke settled back down and reached out to softly punch his the blonde's shoulder.
"Doesn't make it any less true." Naruto chuckled. He moved himself closer, nudging Sasuke's feet with his own and setting a hand over Sasuke's little passenger. "Now spill, what did you dream about?" Sasuke sighed and focused his attention on Sasuke's scarred cheeks and perfect nose. He really didn't want to see the emotions run through Naruto's expressive blue eyes.
"Itachi." The Uchiha breathed. Naruto's stillness was to be expected and the Uchiha started to chew the inside of his cheek. It was possible that he would never be able to talk about his brother without the guilt churning in his gut. That he'd never be able to stop it from welling up to constrict around his chest and throat.
"Good, bad, or weird?" Naruto repeated after a moment of hesitation. Sasuke snorted and took a deep breath, the tension dissipating a little.
"All of them." The Uchiha answered. His husband nudged Sasuke's feet with his own under the covers.
"What happened in your dream?" Naruto pressed. The dark haired male brushed his toes across bony ankles that were not his.
"It was in the ruins," The Uchiha started to explain. He dreamed about Itachi's death more times than he could count, not as often as when Naruto first brought him back. The blonde didn't need him to explain what ruins he was talking about. "I was walking around, looking for something. This time, I was pregnant." Naruto looked down to Sasuke's round stomach.
"Did you find Itachi?" The blonde asked softly. Nodding, Sasuke bit down on his lower lip before continuing.
"It was like I went back in time. I watched him die in front of me, but it was like watching it through someone else's eyes." Naruto was patiently listening, "The next thing I knew, he was standing in front of me." Tears were forming in his eyes and he blinked rapidly, willing them to disappear.
"He spoke to you?" Naruto guessed.
"I know it was a dream but he," Taking a deep breath, Sasuke forced back the need to cry. "He told me not to be sorry, and that he knew you loved me when we were young." Sasuke's throat constricted and he choked out a small sob. The blonde raised his hand over his husband's arm to rub his back comfortingly.
"Well, he wasn't wrong." Naruto whispered. Surprised, Sasuke let out a sound between another sob and laughter.
"Usuratonkachi." The Uchiha pushed at the blonde's shoulder, a halfhearted attempt to push him away. "He told me, that he was proud of me." He took a deep breath, sniffing loudly to stop his nose from running. The blonde continued to rub circles across his back, grounding the pregnant male to keep him calm.
"He would be, you know he would." Naruto told him. Leaning in closer, the blonde tilted his head and pressed his lips against Sasuke's. Lips were soft and pliant against his, the hand on his back warm and reassuring. Sasuke's throat constricted again, he turned his head to break the kiss. Letting out a short gasp, he tried to breathe deeply. Naruto let him gain back his composure quietly, waiting for him to feel ready to continue talking.
"It was just a stupid dream." The Uchiha muttered. Naruto continued to rub circles across his back was warm and comforting. It made him feel better, more than he thought it would.
"I think it was the truth, and that it was what you needed to hear, Sasuke." The blonde whispered. "Even if it was just a dream." He bit his lower lip, closed his eyes and dropped his head to his lover's chest. Naruto continued to rub his back in random circles, pressing his face into the dark hair to place a kiss on the top of his head.
"I miss him." Naruto was quiet, his face still buried in the silky black hair. Reaching out, the pregnant male wrapped his own arm around the blonde's waist, tugging him closer. He could almost hear the blonde thinking to himself and Sasuke found that he was wondering what was bothering him. Who did Naruto miss? "Jiraiya?" He asked softly. They didn't talk about it much, or even often but just like Itachi, Jiraiya and his death was a sensitive topic.
"Yeah." The blonde murmured. Tightening his grip around Naruto's waist, Sasuke pressed his nose into the tan collarbone.
"Do you dream about him?" Sasuke asked. His voice muffled against warm skin. Naruto's hand continued moving across his back and Sasuke brushed his thumb against warm skin.
"Sometimes." He whispered. Sasuke blinked when he felt those attentive lips against the top of his head again. Closing his eyes, he pressed his face harder into Naruto's chest.
"Want to talk about it?" Sasuke asked. There was a difference in how they handled this, with Itachi, his thoughts always lingered over the 'what ifs' and 'maybes'. It would gnaw at his consciousness for days, souring his mood until he became maudlin. Naruto would pick a fight, usually leaving them too tired to stand up and afterwards Sasuke would repeat aloud what he was thinking. With Jiraiya, Naruto would talk about it if he wanted to. Prying or trying to force him to talk also ended up with a fight, but Naruto would always stubbornly refuse to say anything. He would talk about it when he was ready and Sasuke would listen when that time came.
"Not really." The blonde whispered. He inhaled and exhaled twice before speaking again. "He treated me like family, in his own way." Naruto chuckled as he buried his head against Sasuke's hair. The Uchiha didn't press for more, feeling the hand on his back still before reaching up to cup the back of his neck. Sasuke closed his eyes again and they lay there, holding each other for comfort as they remembered the loved ones they'd lost.
December 19th, still the thirty-second week,
Back pain was almost worst than his inability to bend over. Sasuke pushed back his shoulders, wincing as his lower back protested. His body ached, no matter what position he shifted into in the uncomfortable chair in the cramped scroll room. After half an hour, the pregnant male groaned and moved to stand up, his back wanting to hunch over unnaturally.
Putting away the scrolls, the dark haired male forced himself to stand up straight and held back a groan of pain. Opening the door, the Uchiha turned off the light in the scroll room and grabbed his coat. Letting the door close behind him, Sasuke stepped out into the hallway. "This sucks." Sasuke muttered to himself. He made it several steps away from the door before he felt someone move behind him. Whipping his head around, obsidian eyes took in the sight of Naruto moving to follow him.
"Oh come on, you've had over seven months to complain. You've got less than two months!" His blonde grinned. Sasuke continued to walk down the hallway and listened to the orange clad man to jog after him.
"Forty days, less than six weeks." The Uchiha pointed out. Wrapping an arm around Sasuke's shoulders, Naruto pressed a kiss to his cheek.
"You're counting the days?" He asked. Sasuke raised his eyebrows, surprised that it was even a question.
"Hn." The Uchiha hummed. Shrugging the arm off his shoulders, Sasuke held out his hand and let their fingers become intertwined. They made it to the stairwell before Naruto spoke up again.
"Do you regret it?" He asked in a quiet voice. Pausing as he tried to get his body down the steps, the pregnant male pinned a stare on the blonde. "Choosing to carry our child instead of me." Naruto elaborated. Frowning, the Uchiha shook his head and continued his way down the steps.
"No. Just ready for the little passenger to not be a passenger anymore." He explained. The blonde let out a soft sigh; he raced down the last few steps and helped Sasuke onto the ground floor. Sasuke paused in the stairwell, a sweat starting to break out as he tried to control his heavy breathing.
"I know. Want to take a quick breather?" Naruto questioned. Sasuke nodded and moved towards the wall and away from the stairs. Leaning against the wall, the pregnant male groaned and set a hand on his stomach.
"I hate this." He grumbled. The blonde awkwardly tucked his hands into his pockets and Sasuke took a deep breath.
"Sorry." Naruto started to apologize. Shaking his head, the Uchiha waved his hand at him.
"Don't be." The Uchiha stopped him before he could continue on. "We both wanted this." Right then, the baby kicked at his bladder and he winced at the feeling.
"I don't like seeing you in pain." Naruto raised his hand to brush some of Sasuke's bangs behind his ear. It fell right back into place as Sasuke watched him in momentary confusion.
"Naruto, the baby's kicking." He explained. The blonde blinked in surprise before looking down to Sasuke's round stomach. "The little one has been aiming for my bladder all day." Naruto's worried expression melted into the child-like awe he'd always shown when the little passenger moved. He looked down to Sasuke's belly, his fingers twitching but his hand remaining at his side.
"Oh, can I?" The blonde asked. Sasuke nodded and motioned for him to bring his hand closer.
"You don't have to ask." The dark haired male told him. He placed a hand on the Uchiha's stomach, rubbing small circles as he waited for the baby to kick again.
"I know." Naruto grinned. As if on cue, the baby gave another kick and the dark haired male winced again. His husband continued to move his hand in circles, watching Sasuke shift in discomfort. "Think you can walk? Maybe it'll help the baby settle down." The Uchiha nodded and let the blonde lead them out of the stairwell.
"We're going to be late." Sasuke explained. Naruto looked back, smiling and stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"Taji-san will understand." The blonde shrugged his shoulders. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, the pregnant male picked up his pace. He brushed passed Naruto and looked back after a few steps, seeing the grin he knew would be here. The blonde caught up with him, walking next to him to the front door of the Hokage tower.
It was freezing cold, the wind almost brutally chilled. Sasuke stuffed his hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders in attempt to protect his face. Naruto followed him out the door, stretching his arms out as if he enjoyed the bitter winds of winter.
"Too cold for you?" The blonde asked. Sasuke scowled at him and started the fairly short trek from the Hokage tower to the hospital. Naruto trailed after him, grinning as he followed the pregnant male obediently.
"I'm fine." Sasuke grumbled. The blonde tilted his head but was still grinning as he slipped his hand into the Uchiha's pocket, his fingers cold. Letting out a quiet hiss, the dark haired male pulled his hand out of his pocket, Naruto's fingers still wrapped around his before he shook them off. The blonde chuckled and tried to grab Sasuke's hand again before being slapped away forcefully. "Stop it. Your hand is cold." He growled.
"Yeah, I want you to warm them." Naruto teased. He gave Sasuke a suggestive wink and immediately raised an arm to defend himself from the Uchiha's elbow. "Come on, just a little handholding? Sasuke!" He yelled after him. The Uchiha glared at him, tucked his arms close to his sides and stormed away.
Focusing on the puffs of white in front of his face, the dark haired male walked in the direction of the hospital. He could tell that the blonde was following close behind him but the Uchiha refused to slow down. As soon as his check up with Taji-san was done, he was going back home and working out. Well, as much of a workout as he could get away with when his middle was ballooning out in front of him. Would he even be able to make it forty more days like this? Even now, barely a few minutes away from the Hokage's tower he was out of breath again.
"I guess this is a good time to tell you, Kakashi and Yamato have been thinking about moving the testing outside of the compound." Naruto told him when he caught up again, hands stuffed into his pockets. Slowing pace, Sasuke inhaled through his nose and exhaled out of his mouth, trying not to show his breathlessness.
"Why?" The Uchiha asked. The feeling of someone staring at them had the dark haired male lifting his head and looking around. An older man quickly turned his head as they passed where he was standing. The raised hairs on the back of his neck told Sasuke that he had returned to staring at them walking away. Most people had gotten used to seeing him in his condition but obviously there were a few people in the village that still didn't seem to believe it.
"A few reasons." Naruto's focus seemed to be everywhere but on Sasuke when the Uchiha returned his attention to him. It took jabbing the blonde in the ribs with his elbow to get more information out of him. "The containment area outside of the village has been ready for a few days and the clones' reactions to the seal testing are getting a little violent." Still, the blonde refused to meet his gaze.
"Has Kyuubi damaged the training field?" Sasuke tilted his head in Naruto's direction. The dark haired male's gaze narrowed on his face, looking for any expression or micro-expression for a hint of why he'd clammed up so suddenly.
"Nothing too serious, a few holes and little misplaced dirt." He explained with a short shrug of his shoulders.
"Serious enough if they think Kyuubi's becoming too much of a threat." The Uchiha countered. He knew the blonde had talked Kakashi and Yamato into staying in the compound for him the last few days but it sounded like they were ready to move the testing out of the compound.
"We're being cautious." Naruto elaborated. Finally the blonde looked to him and Sasuke raised an eyebrow in response. "We also thought it'd be a good idea to test run the containments seals that Tsunade set up. For you know, when it happens." The Uchiha muttered softly.
"You think I'm still pissed about not being there." Sasuke stated. Shifting his shoulders uncomfortably, the blonde tilted his head with a slight grimace.
"I'm pretty sure it's still a touchy subject." Naruto told him plainly. He rolled his eyes; of course it still bothered him.
"Hn." The Uchiha responded noncommittally. "Why do I have the feeling I'm not going to see you in the next few weeks?"
"You'll see me, just not as much as you'd like." He teased. Sasuke grunted noncommittally and watched his husband laugh.
Naruto took the liberty of knocking on the door while Sasuke tugged off his coat and opened it when they heard the response 'come in'. The small doctors office was exactly how Sasuke had left it when he had been in it two weeks ago. Taji-san was sitting in her chair, next to the patient's chair, smiling at them as they walked in.
"Good morning. How are we doing?" Taji motioned for them to take their respective seats. Sasuke placed his coat on the hangar on the wall before easing himself down onto the exam chair in the middle of the small room. Naruto shut the door and locked it before beginning to unbutton his jacket.
"Some back pain." The pregnant male stated. He leaned back and got comfortable for his checkup. Naruto hung his own coat up and sat down in the seat across from the obstetrician. She nodded in understanding, giving Sasuke a look over as he pulled his shirt up.
"I heard from Sakura that you had a labor scare last week, do you want to tell me about it?" Taji asked. The Uchiha bit the inside of his cheek, his cheeks growing hot. Refusing to meet the older woman's gaze, he glanced to Naruto who was looking back expectantly. 'Tell her' the blonde mouthed.
"I pulled a muscle in my back while having an episode of Braxton Hicks contractions." Sasuke explained. He glared at Naruto who shrugged his shoulders and looked wholly unaffected. The dark haired male felt the urge to stick his tongue out at him. His blonde seemed to read his mind and grinned at him, leaning back in his seat. He looked ridiculously smug with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Have you had any more of them?" Taji-san questioned. She plucked at her sleeves, pulling them up a fraction before she reached for a bottle of hand sanitizer. The obstetrician squeezed out a dollop of it, rubbing it between her hands in preparation for his checkup.
"No, just the back pain." Sasuke replied quickly. Taji-san nodded and moved her chair closer to Sasuke, her eyes taking in his form with a critical eye.
"You should remain vigilant about the back pain, it can be a sign of pre-term labor." She continued to rub her hands together, looking up to make sure both men nodded in understanding. "Let's get you checked out then." Setting her hands on his stomach, she gently pressed in a few places before her hands began to glow green.
"How have you been, Taji-san?" Naruto asked after a few moments of silence. Taji tilted her head at the question, her hands slowly moving over Sasuke's rounded stomach.
"I've been well, thank you for asking." The obstetrician answered. "How have you been, Naruto?" She sounded a little distracted but Naruto's face lit up in a wide smile.
"I've been good, the thing with Apricot is a little stressful but nothing I can't handle." The blonde grinned. Sasuke felt Taji press down a little near his pubic bone and winced at the feeling. It wasn't painful, exactly. The pressure was more uncomfortable than anything else.
"Oh?" She asked. Her hands grazed over the curve of his stomach one more time before she puller her hands away. "How have you been feeling, overall?" She questioned.
"Mostly tired." The Uchiha responded. He watched her reach again for the bottle of sanitizer, cleaning her hands methodically.
"And how often do you rest during the day?" Taji continued. Sasuke watched her pick up a clipboard from the table and started to write something down.
"A few times a day." He said after a few seconds of thinking about it. Taji glanced up and looked him over again with a critical eye.
"What do you do when you're resting?" She pressed. Frowning, the pregnant male glanced to Naruto who was looking a little helpless with his big blue eyes wide in concern.
"Sitting mostly. I take a nap when I need to." Sasuke knew he was looking at her with furrowed brows. He didn't understand why she was focusing on his tiredness for this week's checkup.
"How often is that?" Taji looked up, tapping her pen against the wooden clipboard several times before Sasuke answered.
"Every other day, maybe?" He didn't mean for it to come out as a question but the way the obstetrician was looking at him, nothing he could say would get him out of trouble.
"So, how are Sasuke and his little passenger?" The blonde asked. Sasuke looked over to him to see that he'd dropped his hands down onto his lap. Taji gave Naruto a small smile as she set down her clipboard and pen. Sitting up, the dark haired male pulled his shirt back down and watched his obstetrician, trying to figure out what she was going to say from her posture.
"I'd recommend real bed rest, nothing too extreme." She raised a hand in reaction to Sasuke leaning forward to retort. "You should probably spend a few hours a day resting comfortably at home, instead of going to the Hokage tower." Sasuke's mouth hung open, he was almost at a total loss of what to say.
"I need to keep working," The Uchiha paused. "There's no way the clerk will let me take any of the scrolls home." He looked to Naruto. The blonde was biting his lower lip, looking like he wanted to say something. Taji set her hands in her lap, looking resolute in her decision.
"What you need to do is stop worrying. From the stories I've heard from Sakura and Naruto, your friends are more than capable." The older woman motioned to the blonde and Sasuke glanced to him again, Naruto looked back sheepishly. Sasuke knew almost immediately that he had said something to the obstetrician and glared at him.
"Hn." Sasuke hummed. The blonde shrugged, not looking the least bit remorseful. He straightened in his seat before turning his attention back to Taji-sensei.
"And we've got people moving into the compound in two weeks on top of that. It's a lot." Naruto refused to look back to Sasuke as he spoke. Raising a hand up in exasperation, the Uchiha opened his mouth to refute that last statement.
"Oh? That soon?" Taji smiled as she turned her attention back to the pregnant male, her expression having taken on a steel edge to it.
"I can handle it." The dark haired male scoffed. Crossing his arms over his chest, the Uchiha tried level a glare at the obstetrician but found his gaze wandering to the door. Attempting to be rude to an elder he respected and liked was more difficult than he thought it would be.
"Just because you could do it all before you were pregnant does not mean you can push yourself." Taji sighed. Naruto was nervously fidgeting in his seat and Sasuke had a sinking feeling that the blonde knew what she was going to say next. "I don't like to do this, Sasuke but you're not to go back to the Hokage tower until after the baby is born." Shocked, the Uchiha leaned forward. He attempted to move off of the chair but Naruto had stood up, holding his shoulders to stop him from getting up and Taji set her hand on his knee.
"You can't-" The Uchiha tried to articulate his argument again. He looked between his husband and his obstetrician, his reasoning stuck in his throat. Taji-san squeezed his knee in a manner that was meant to be comforting. The pregnant male closed his mouth, breathing heavily through his nose as he let Naruto push him back down into the chair.
"Doctor's orders." She stated. Forcing air into his lungs, the Uchiha set a hand on his pregnant stomach, his mind flipping through ideas and plans. What would he do if he couldn't access the scroll rooms? "And if you're feeling tired, lay down. Don't worry about excessive napping. Do you understand, Sasuke?"
"Yes." Sasuke breathed. He didn't want to understand, how was he going to help if he wasn't allowed back into the Hokage tower? The older woman seemed to recognize his shocked acknowledgment for what it was and accepted it.
"Good, I wouldn't want to send Sakura after you. She's as stubborn as she is smart." Taji sighed as she stood up. She probably meant for it to sound comforting, but all the pregnant male could hear in it was the ring of imprisonment. "Do you have any questions?"
"I do." Sasuke hissed out. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to ignore the violent beating of his heart in his chest. "If I'm not allowed to go to the Hokage's tower, am I no longer allowed to exercise?"
"I certainly wouldn't recommend anything that required standing for long periods of time." Taji-san sighed. Her expression was weary, as if conceding to allow him any physical activity was far more than she was willing to give. "I do understand that inactivity is difficult for you but putting that kind of stress on your body won't do you or the baby any good." The dark haired male dipped his head in a shallow nod, knowing that her explanation was valid. Still, the feeling of being trapped and restricted by his body of all things was unnerving.
"Is there anything you would recommend I do to alleviate boredom while I'm on bed rest?" He forced out that he hoped sounded calm. Taji-san's shoulders straightened at the question. Her posture straightened and her expression brightened.
"There are a few activities I think would help. Reading would probably be the most enjoyable for you. Doing puzzles, planning a get together with friends, or even preparing the nursery is an option. Some women who have needed bed rest have taken up knitting, or keeping a journal but I don't think you'd find those activities very enjoyable." Sasuke snorted in agreement.
"Reading and puzzles, got it." The pregnant male responded half-heartedly.
"Well, I'll let you two to talk. See you again in two weeks?" Taji-san sighed. She stood up and looked to Naruto in a manner that meant there was something more than she was saying. The blonde seemed to know what the look meant, judging by the small nod he gave her while he moved to stand up.
"Yes, two weeks. Thank you, Taji-sensei." Naruto bowed to her as Sasuke tilted his head, his mind still whirling with half formed thoughts. Taji smiled and quietly left the room. "Sorry, Sasuke." Naruto murmured. He leaned down, pressing a chaste kiss to the dark haired male's forehead. The Uchiha felt something akin to ice roll down his spine, his shock morphing into anger.
"You tattled on me?" The Uchiha hissed. Sasuke looked up to glare at the blonde who looked equally guilty and concerned.
"I'm worried about you." Naruto explained. He moved around to the other side of Sasuke's chair, taking Taji's seat. "You've been pushing yourself way too much recently." He set his hand down over Sasuke's, gripping it in a tight squeeze. Lowering his gaze to their hands, Sasuke scowled and pulled his hand away. He was angry, angry for being restricted even more now, frustrated that his blonde had gone behind his back instead of talking to him about this.
"I'm fine." Sasuke grunted.
"No, you're not!" The Uchiha looked up in surprise at the outburst. Naruto's expression was one of unbridled anger but what caught Sasuke's attention was the small ring of red around his pupil. His mind supplied the memory of them in the shower after the second part of the Chuunin exam and the annoying usage of the word 'mine'. The blonde continued ranting, unaware of Sasuke's revelation. "You're stubborn. You won't take breaks even when you're tired and you resent every second that you are resting when you're clearly exhausted!"
"Calm down." He attempted to keep his voice even. It only seemed to enrage him further, he gripped the back of the chair and Sasuke could hear the metal groaning beneath the padding. The excessive show of strength was more likely from Kyuubi's chakra leaking than Naruto's lack of control.
"No, I have the right to be angry! You can't just put yourself and the baby in danger and act like it's no big deal!" Swinging his legs over the chair, Sasuke crowded the blonde's personal space, forcing him to let go of the chair and to take a step back. A growl erupted from his throat but Naruto didn't seem to realize he was making the sound as he continued to glare at the pregnant male.
"I understand that but you need to calm down." Sasuke persisted. Reaching out, the dark haired male wrapped his fingers around the blonde's hip. He tried to ground Naruto with his touch but the blonde's growling grew louder.
"Why?" Naruto hissed. Slipping his hand under the blonde's shirt, he brushed his thumb across the warm skin of a hip and kept his face expression neutral.
"Kyuubi's chakra is leaking." The growling immediately stopped and barely a second later, Naruto was stepping away. Frowning, Sasuke watched him back up until he was flush against the wall, leaning against the table with a look of abject horror. "Naruto." Sasuke dropped his hand to the exam chair, watching his reaction with concern.
"I'm sorry." The blonde blurted out. Naruto seemed to stop breathing, the ring of red around his eyes fading back to his normal bright blue. Sasuke let out a sigh of relief and struggled to stand, the muscles in his lower back protesting at the awkward angle.
"You should have told me you were worried." The Uchiha grunted as he straightened, his very rotund stomach sticking out from his normally thin frame. Naruto stiffened where he stood, his gaze focused on the Uchiha's middle. Frowning, the dark haired male watched Naruto cautiously regard him before sliding closer to the door.
"I should leave." Naruto muttered. A dark feeling surged in Sasuke's chest and he stepped forward, his stomach bumping into the blonde's hip. He had expected Naruto to back away; careful of the little passenger but what caught him by surprise was the expression of alarm, the fear on the blonde's face. Thinking of the last few minutes of their conversation, it barely took a second for Sasuke to realize what conclusions Naruto had come to in his own mind.
"No, take a minute and relax." Sasuke moved to block the blonde's path to the door. Now the only way around him was stepping over the exam chair and if Naruto broke down and attempted it, the Uchiha could probably move fast enough to block him again.
"It's not safe, not with Kyuubi's chakra leaking." The blonde voiced the very fear Sasuke had expected it to be. Now, the dark haired male had to disabuse his husband of the notion.
"You're overreacting." Sasuke told him calmly. "It happens when you're angry." From the way the blonde cringed, the Uchiha could imagine he was feeling guilty from his previous outburst.
"So I just need to, what? Not get mad?" Naruto laughed nervously. He glanced toward the door again and when Sasuke reached out to the blonde's hand and watched him flinch. The pregnant male ignored it and forced his hand into Naruto's, squeezing it tightly.
"Or overly emotional, probably." Sasuke meant it to come off as a joke but Naruto's lips didn't even twitch upwards in an attempt at a smile.
"I could hurt you." He pointed out in a soft voice. The Uchiha let out a soft exhale of breath and stepped back, leaning to sit down in the exam chair again. Refusing to let go of the blonde's hand, he forced Naruto to step closer. His posture was rigid and unwilling but Sasuke took it as a good sign when he didn't pull away or look towards the door again.
"Or you could kill me. Either way, I'm not scared." Sasuke tilted his head back. He let his body relax into the slightly reclined exam chair, Naruto's hand still tightly entrapped by his own.
"You should be." Naruto muttered bitterly. Raising an eyebrow, the dark haired male pulled on the blonde's hand, forcing him to take a step closer. Easing his grip, Sasuke manipulated the calloused hand until he was gently gripping the tan wrist.
"You don't seem worried that I could do just as much damage to you," Naruto's eyes widened as he realized, too late, what the position of the grip meant. Sasuke rolled his wrist with an efficient flick, forcing the blonde's arm to twist inwardly. "Or do you think that just because I'm pregnant I'm incapable of violence?"
Leaning forward, he raised his arm, forcing the stiffening limb in his grip to arch in an unnatural angle. Naruto reacted almost unconsciously, turning his body with the movements so that his back was towards the Uchiha. The movement lessened the strain on the blonde's shoulder but if Sasuke continued to lift the blonde's arm up, he would either force Naruto to the floor or pop his shoulder out of its socket. It was a defensive move; Sasuke remembered learning it in the academy as a secondary attempt when an attacker's grip was loose enough to break it.
"I don't-" Naruto started to explain. The Uchiha lifted the blonde's arm higher and his breath hitched, the attempt to speak effectively paused. Holding the position, Sasuke watched his blonde bend his knees, attempting to release some of the tension. Naruto could easily break it if he wished, there were several maneuvers that came to mind but he didn't use any of them. As Sasuke expected, the blonde was being overly careful with his actions, tiptoeing around the Uchiha as if he would break under even the smallest amount of duress.
"You know what I'm capable of, even without chakra or my Sharingan. I can protect myself if you lose control." The Uchiha told him in a soft voice.
"You shouldn't have to!" Naruto snapped. He wrenched away from the defensive grip, Sasuke could see the muscles in the blonde's arm straining before he let go and heard a loud popping sound. Turning around, Naruto looked to Sasuke, his expression conflicted. "I never want to hurt you." The Uchiha expected to see the blonde's shoulder dislocated but it didn't look to popped out of its socket.
"You've made that perfectly clear the last few days." Sasuke shot back without any bite. The blonde made a sour face, his nose scrunching unattractively.
"I-" Naruto started. The blonde glanced up, his bright blue eyes filled to the brim with a multitude of emotions, regret, sadness, something akin to fear. "I know you're not made of glass but you're not invincible either." Raising an eyebrow, Sasuke watched him flinch, as if he was expecting a blow. Reaching out, the pregnant male gripped the black cloth of his shirt, tugging him closer.
"You have a point." The Uchiha muttered. He dropped his gaze down to the blonde's midsection, his other hand wrapping around a tan hip. Naruto stepped forward, standing between the Uchiha's legs and his head tilted down to watch Sasuke. "We're both stubborn." The Uchiha leaned forward as far as he was able to, resting his forehead against the blonde's upper stomach.
"Tell me something Sakura hasn't." Naruto chuckled. A warm palm brushed against his cheek, fingers running through his hair. He closed his eyes and let Naruto's warmth and rhythmic movement of breathing comfort him.
"When do you move the seal training out of the compound?" Sasuke asked. His voice was muffled but the dark haired male was too comfortable to move just yet.
"Day after tomorrow." The blonde replied. Squeezing the hand in his own, Sasuke let his other hand wander across the skin of Naruto's back. His fingers tracing muscle and bone under unmarred skin.
"I'll be bored." Sasuke murmured. The hand in his hair slipped down to his neck, cupping his head in a comforting manner.
"Then I guess we'll have to get you some books and puzzles today before we head back." Naruto's voice was full of a grin. The Uchiha could feel the edges of his own lips quirking upwards in a small smile. Dropping his hand from the blonde's back, Sasuke lifted his head and let the blonde take a step back. "Come on, you shouldn't be on your feet for long." Sasuke wasn't surprised to see the grin on the blonde's face. Standing up, the dark haired male stretched the muscles in his back before easing himself toward the door.
"Fine. When we get home, we can both take a nap." The Uchiha replied. He grabbed their coats, handing the blonde his and opened the door to the room.
"I don't need a nap." Naruto told him pointedly. Sasuke looked back to see the blonde was pouting as he straightened the front of his coat. Staying close to the edge of the hallway, the pregnant male buttoned his coat and raised an eyebrow at his blonde.
"Neither do I." The Uchiha let his facial muscles form a half-hearted frown. He watched Naruto begin to walk, zipping up his orange jacket while attempting to not run into anyone. Following him, Sasuke wrapped his fingers around the blonde's elbow, pulling him away from the middle of the hallway.
"Well, this sucks. I'm sure we can think of something that'll make us tired enough for a nap." Naruto replied cheerfully. He pulled the zipper of his jacket up to his neck and winked when their eyes met. Letting the frown drop, Sasuke let his facial muscles morph into a cool mask of indifference he used to nod at a passing group or nurses, squeezing his husband's elbow in response.