Happy New's Year's Everyone! It's 2012! And I'm kind of excited, my birthday is coming +.+ which makes me wonder how old you guys think I am anyways… Thanks for all your support (from last year)… -insert heart- I've been writing here for a one year this Tuesday. Woot! ;3
I've been so sick lately. ]:
Anyhow, I have a few issues to address. A reviewer said they couldn't read my story anymore because Sasuke and Naruto were so young. I laughed because I didn't disguise or lie about their ages. Ahem, their ages are in the first line of the first of the first chapter. I'm not really sure what the issue was because this is far from unrealistic. (young) Teenage pregnancy is real and it exists. (From 13-15 years of age) It doesn't make me a bad author for writing it. Actually, someone needs to… Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas generally have the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the nation every year. I used to live in Phoenix, Arizona… best believe their poppin' em out in the grand ol' west, (Yuma, has the highest pregnancy rate in the nation D:)
Cherry Jade, hope you like babe, this is for you(:
Summary: We all often make mistakes. Nevertheless, it's best we take it in stride and use the acquired knowledge as experience for the future. Unfortunately, it's impossible to move on when you end up making the same mistake. Twice. SasuNaru.
CH04: The Alienation Part II
The Pool House
"Naruto, try to calm down." Sasuke gravely whispered with reason, grasping Naruto's shuttering shoulders, reducing the panicked tremor vibrating in his tone to a minimum. The last thing he wanted to do was trigger any unexpressed volatility or incite an increase of tears from the red rimmed blue eyes. Involuntarily, the clogging sediment thickened in his esophagus as he witnessed the incoherent blond wipe salty waterfalls with the back of his hands, the bricks wedged in his knees immobilizing his joints. Sasuke tried to swallow the thick layer lodged in his throat and support the fine twine muscles. A loud sob from Naruto caused a hitch in Sasuke's breath as he pulled in the pregnant figure against his own, tucking the leafy forest of blond underneath his chin, strong hands curling around his small back.
The slap of panic and sorrow the news sparked combustions of afflictions Sasuke had to attend to. First, he had to get Naruto to breathe. Just breathe. Aligning his perspectives, Sasuke summoned the information he learned from their doctor and nurse practitioner about the importance of the stress, or lack thereof. If there was a large spurt of the fatal strain, it could directly affect the health of their baby…
Miraculously, he was able to get Naruto away from the nefarious meeting in the conference room and away from his brazen father's demands and Naruto's tight-lipped parents. Fighting every step of the way, Sasuke had to resort to physically removing the resistant body with borderline brutal force. His father didn't wish to reconcile any differences with Naruto about the fate of their unborn child. He simply wanted to be left to wallow in his superiority complex and invertible disgust towards their malfunctioning moral compass with the other malleable buffoons that called themselves parents.
From the short assessment he administered to Naruto, it wasn't inscrutable Fugaku regarded Naruto as an arrogant fool for one, getting pregnant, and two, wanting to actually keep the baby.
What he had expected was for Naruto to obstinately reject any form of change in his young teenage life and blindly choose his future over the baby's own. Unfortunately for Fugaku, the fight was not about Naruto's ability to pursue his youth, and engage in the venomous battle of defying their oppositions. It was centered on Naruto insolently refusing Fugaku's demands.
He didn't expect Naruto to say he would surrender his life after the baby was born, for the child and for Sasuke. Fugaku concealed the emotion well, but Sasuke's keen perception recognized the astonishment arch on his elderly wrinkles.
He couldn't understand such selflessness-especially from a mere youngster.
Fugaku—someone who was a stranger to personal sacrifice—usually supported his 'sacrifice' on the backs of others', as he neither contributed nor traded anything of real value.
It was more than just the child itself that infuriated Fugaku, it was the gushing exhibit of maturity that Naruto openly and shamelessly displayed.
Naruto was supposed to dodge responsibility, while refusing to take blame for any part of the situation. Instead, the blond easily decided to forfeit various elements of his virtually carefree life.
The initial inexplicable implication his father made led Sasuke to the correct conclusion.
His father didn't think Sasuke was worthy of such kindness; he didn't think he was worthy of Naruto.
Drenched the blazing depths of awareness, Sasuke couldn't believe his father hated him that much. It was so strong, surreally blatant, and incomprehensibly confusing that it even left Sasuke baffled.
Disjointed, feeling a boiling rush of blood invade his pounding ears, Sasuke seriously pondered if this was all just an elaborate ruse they were using to separate them. Permanently.
Apparently, one of Fugaku's wildest dreams.
"I—I—c-can't," Naruto weakly gasped out; the heels of his palms swiping away the fresh tears. A concord red surge of flaming heat surfaced on the dank cheeks and delicate nose cartilage of the wobbly blond as the thick pulsations of sorrow and devastation sizzled on the thin dew of perspiration cumulating on the paled tarp of caramel.
Sasuke felt unshed tears collect at the corners of his eyes, overwhelmed by watching Naruto in so much emotional pain he could barely speak.
He had seen Naruto cry before, out of joy, out of sadness, and out of fear. But never to this extent.
The love of his life was an expressive creature; there was no question about it. Whatever emotion he was readily feeling, no matter how transitory it was, it was made available to the public through his body language but more importantly his facial expressions.
To make matters worse, when Naruto did anything he put 110% effort in. Heart, mind, and soul. No exceptions.
Exactly how he loved Sasuke.
Exactly how he loved his unborn baby.
He always gave everything even if it left him with nothing.
Sasuke envied the all-or-nothing personality trait at times, but often despised it much more because it resulted in Naruto, the person that he loved with every fiber of his being, to be susceptible to more pain and anguish than the average person. Naruto was far from average. He was of a different pedigree, a mutated species that was strong enough to stand alone but still required coddling, along with crucial protection. Sasuke was glad to be Naruto's barrier of choice—his knight in shining armor, promising from one day he would ward away all pain and shield his baby from all this cruel world had to offer him.
Hepromised.
Sasuke swallowed hard.
After tonight, it was impossible to not feel like he wasn't failing him.
This time, it wasn't his dense peers or derisive acquaintances, it was one of the few people Naruto swore would never hurt him—his blood relatives and the people he considered to be his extended family. The people that claimed to love him.
It was a degree of betrayal so high; it broke the thermometer into mercury drenched shards.
They were on their own this time.
Alone.
All alone.
Naruto sobbed against Sasuke, finding it difficult to sustain a single logical thought that he could clearly articulate without feeling like a bumbling idiot.
Adoption.
Adoption.
Adoption.
The word entailed much more than simple eight letters. He processed it like: take vitamins and eat well for the remaining seven months, get attached to the helpless, unknowing human being in his stomach that was amazingly half him and half Sasuke, endure anywhere from a few minutes to a few days of subhuman, disabling contractions while deciding between a natural birth and a caesarian section, have the child, hold the beautiful creature that he and his soulmate made, take them home for the first time, feed them his 'homemade' baby food, change them, clothe them, sing them to sleep, awake to their uncomfortable cries, play with them, then give them away like they were nothing, like it never happened.
Is that what they expected him to do? Pretend?
No, he didn't want to pretend this never happened. Hecouldn'tpretend this never happened. That he was never pregnant. That he had never mapped out the rest of his life as a mother. That he never loved the idea of having his own family with Sasuke…
He knew it sounded absurd. He was only fifteen and people this age usually didn't reproduce. Atleast they weren't supposed to. Society frowned upon teenagers who feigned adult hood by having sex without understanding the full consequences. It one of the few cultural taboos still ingrained into the monarchy of everyday life that earned low whispers aimed at their apparent ignorance and the obvious stares. They weren't mature enough to tolerate the responsibility of a child, which was naturally acceptable. Teenagers usually didn't have the civilization necessary to produce the sufficient parental abilities a baby would require.
That didn't mean Naruto wasn't going to try. His child was worth it all; all the pain, all the blood, the sleepless nights, the stares, the laughter, and the silent ridicules.
Of course he knew that raising a baby wasn't going to be a cake walk. He didn't expect it to be but he was aware it involved a number of improvements and a total change of pace on his part. Luckily, it still didn't deter him from the large task of handling a child.
But his parents didn't approve of any of it.
They never had.
They never truly grew accustomed to Sasuke, or the thought of them being in a committed relationship. They always managed to treat him like an unwanted outsider, never integrating him into their family.
Naruto was thankful Sasuke didn't mind there standoffish attitudes and remained with him simply becausehewas worth it.
As far as Naruto could remember, his parents were uneasy about them hanging and being bestfriends with one another.
Especially his father.
Naruto noticed from the get-go his father kept Sasuke beyond arm's length. Approximately… a thousand miles away. To amend the discrepancy, Naruto tried organizing 'activities' that would initiate bonding but nothing seemed to work. It actually caused the wide rift to broaden.
As strong as the temptation to ignore the issue was, Naruto knew he couldn't ignore it. Every time Minato and Sasuke intersected, there was always a close scrape that left Naruto intervening on their senseless arguments. Eventually, he couldn't sweep the spiteful encounters under the rug anymore. The tension between his father and Sasuke was real.
Naruto deduced from the deep-rooted sarcasm and hateful glares that there was no common ground among the two.
At first, Naruto thought it was because of the 'burdening' inference of homosexuality between him and Sasuke. But after their first year together as a couple, Naruto knew that wasn't the problem. Still peeved about having to choose between his boyfriend and his family, Naruto assumed it was Minato's gleaming overprotective streak and the unspoken fear Sasuke would break his heart and move on. Surprisingly, after a certain incident Naruto discovered that was not the case.
It was simple.
So simple, Naruto never guessed it.
Minato was jealous. Ashell.
He didn't like Naruto spending so much time with another male. In fact, he felt like he was being replaced by Sasuke.
The thought of Naruto placing all his faith in another man angered him, in ways he couldn't explain.
Naruto thought he was being unfair, like he usually was.
His father worked long hours at the town hall and held many functions that didn't involve him. He came into the manor late at night when Naruto had already fallen asleep and arose and left before he awoke. With his new line of work, there wasn't any father and son time anymore. He was lonely for a while; he missed his father's company, the fishing trips, movie nights, and inspirational encouragements.
Meanwhile in the absence of his father, he and Sasuke's relationship soared to irreversible heights.
Sasuke was the sweetest, snarkiest piece of ass on the market—every girl's wettest dream.
In light of knowing he was the most desirable piece of meat available, he still fell head over heels in love with him, not regretting a moment of his strong feelings.
In spite of being in uncharted territories, they exclusively chose one another to share their firsts with.
First date.
First time they ever held hands,
The first time someone ever gave them 'butterflies',
The first time they ever kissed,
The first time they ever cuddled,
The first time they ever had a corazon a corazon,
The first time they ever made love,
The first time they had a child.
And that seemed to be the final straw for Minato—for everyone.
Naruto felt his dark saline saturated lashes settle onto his lower lids, experiencing an emerging sprout of intense cramps crippling his abdomen as the threat of the probable future events caused his blood pressure to sky rocket. The pulverization of his hammering heart exclaimed the words Sasuke tried to but couldn't get through to him: he needed to calm down.
He could feel the pain amounting in his midsection, his back hunching in response. If he didn't control his waves of emotions, he was going to hurt his baby. The one thing he never wanted to do.
"Naruto, I need you to take deep breaths." Before he knew it, he was drowning reliably ethical bolts of steel—steel that always kept him grounded—as he felt the large hands engulf his hot, wet cheeks. "Just breathe."
Sasuke deeply inhaled, scouting Naruto's unfocused pupils and trying to get him to mirror his demonstration.
Naruto nodded, letting his eyes flutter closed as his small nose sniffed one last time. Drawing in a large dose of air, and pushing it out with the help of his diaphragm, Naruto felt the magical effects of just breathing already. The tightening cramps in his center seemed to slowly disappear with each careful inhale and slow exhale.
"Just like that," Sasuke encouragingly coached, etching his concern with the periodic stray thumb strokes.
Naruto continued the deep breathing exercises like Sasuke told him to.
The throbbing pain and light-headedness lessened…
Hearing his last breath quaver, Sasuke felt the small fingers' grip crease the front of his tee shirt as the beseeching radiant sapphire jewels brilliantly glinted. The soft glow from the only available light source reduced the intensity of the ensnaring eyes that were capable of invoking a hurricane of sentiments that could faultlessly turn him into a lovesick fool or balance his otherwise stoic behavior. The searing violet tone transported an infusion of practical fears bleeding into their everlasting attachment. The single heart-wrenching glance compelled Sasuke to just hold Naruto—for eternity.
Shutting his eyes from the freezing cold universe, and bowing head slightly, Sasuke pressed their foreheads together enveloping the prickling silence blanketed by his lover's coarse nasal breaths.
In the midst of the bitter solace, Sasuke felt Naruto gently place a weak kiss on his lips.
Sasuke's heart dropped at the gesture. Here he was, in living, breathing shreds, but yet still oozing his unconditional love in buckets.
So characteristic of Naruto.
Sasuke just hoped this wasn't the last time he had the honor of experiencing his pure, omnipresent love.
Having to say goodbye to Naruto merged with the imperative dictation of surrendering his first child under his own volition.
A fate that made hell like a pleasant alternative.
"I'm sorry, Sasuke, I didn't know. I d-didn't know an-any of this was going to happen. I'm so…" Sasuke heard the arch form in Naruto's wispy apology."sorry. Please f-forgive m-me." Naruto shivered against him, his sobs scattering across his words as fresh liquid wet the palms of Sasuke's hand.
Sasuke sank a little deeper in the estuary of doldrums thanks to Naruto's senseless apology.
It was just like Naruto to blame himself for something he had no hand in.
He never owed him an apology. For anything.
"You don't have anything to apologize for Naruto… It's not your fault," Sasuke uttered lightly against the familiar pair of soft lips. "You shouldn't be sorry," he mumbled, returning the chaste kiss.
'But I should be.'
…
October 18
Naruto didn't gain an hour of sleep since the incident. All he did was weep in Sasuke's caged embrace every night. For the sake of integrity, he could attribute the endless tears to the hormones his body released in droves, but in reality, he knew the extensive replay of his memories and past mistakes were the true barrier from the slightest slumber.
He was sorry for preventing Sasuke from getting any real sleep. He knew Sasuke had a long day ahead of him with four honor classes and football practice afterschool but yet he couldn't stop himself from burrowing into the small of chest and deeply lament. In response, Sasuke pet his messy locks, 'shhh'ing him and drowsily whisper a, 'try to get some sleep', occasionally kissing him on the forehead. Naruto felt so selfish after every comforting action, especially when he clung to Sasuke tighter, muffling his whimpers in his bare pecs.
A few hours before dawn, Naruto trudged to the bathroom puking for what felt like perpetuity.
He was sure to close the door behind himself to atleast try to suppress the volume of his stomach's violent morning sickness. He knew the thin protection of wood wouldn't stop Sasuke from hearing the worse vomit session he ever had to date but it was worth a try. Almost on cue, Sasuke entered the bathroom rubbing his eyes to adjust to the attack of the burlesque-esque dressing room's bright light formation.
Hunched over the toilet, Naruto gander caught the most innocent state he had ever seen Sasuke in.
He looked like a child awoken by a string of commotions, coming to see if his abilities could solve the problem.
It was almost looking through at a smaller Sasuke, like when they were younger.
Rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand left hand, lingering somewhere between the enormous Teflon Jacuzzi tub and the blue and white tiled tub, the glow of Sasuke's untarnished skin resembled freshly-fallen snow, reflecting an image candidness Naruto couldn't explain even if he tried. The edge of his hairline to the curve of his exposed hipbones echoed a precious preserved pearl residing in the navy blue depths of the perilous oceans as his inky nest of dark hair nestled on his crown wreathed his tired countenance.
The picturesque moment added tears to the wavering cobalt eyes. It just reminded Naruto of how much Sasuke didn't deserve any of this. Even though he was aloof and painfully indifferent at times, it didn't make him a bad person. The dam of coldness was his personal defense mechanism against the untrustworthy people that surrounded him. Naruto knew Sasuke had a serious case of trust issues because had been hurt so many times, by so many people, that it was only natural he would build an armament of emotional protection.
He really was the sweetest, most caring person Naruto knew even though it didn't seem that way.
He deserved to have everything he ever wanted.
He deserved to be happy.
Something Naruto wasn't sure he could do for Sasuke anymore.
Without any spoken words, Sasuke moved to massage the small of his back until Naruto stopped the heavy throwing up.
While getting ready for school, Naruto noticed the temporary bags underneath Sasuke's eyes as he pulled his flannel shirt on. Immediately, he felt guilty. He hadn't even noticed he looked like he had been stranded at sea and been kicking in the rough waves of the sea for 72 long hours. Somehow, that's what felt like happened.
…
"What do you want to eat?" Sasuke asked opening numerous pantry doors and cupboards filled with a variety of labeled boxed and canned imperishables.
"I'm not hungry," Naruto throatily grumbled.
The blood vessel in his temple thrummed as his arm halted in motion of reaching for flour to make a fresh batch of pancakes.
Sasuke turned, perplexed. "Naruto, you have to eat—"
"What's the point, Sasuke?" Naruto asked suddenly, twisting the thin tissue in his withering hands.
"Honestly?" The blond whispered.
"I can't pretend that they just didn't tell me to give our baby up for adoption." Barely audible, Naruto looked down at the crumbled paper wet by his own tears.
"What's the point of all this…? E-everything we planned Sasuke…" He sniffled out.
"What's the point of having this baby when I can't—keep—" Naruto released a shaky breath, glimpsing at the endless pile of Kleenex surrounding him.
Sasuke's lungs failed to provide another useable breath. "Are you saying you want…an abortion?"
Naruto shook his head, pressing a fresh Kleenex against the corner of his eyes. "I didn't say that," Naruto weakly shot back.
"Then what the hell are you saying, Naruto?" Sasuke walked to the eat-in area of the kitchen, taking a seat across from the bedraggled boy.
"I'm saying, I'll go through this. All of it—and at the end of the day, I'll have nothing to show for it… simply because I'll destroy what our dad's built for themselves."
Naruto sobbed but tried to imprison the sound. "It's just not fair…"
Sasuke's tightened face softened as a syringe of interpretation unloaded into him from Naruto's explanation. Their eye contact engaged in an unspoken conversation as Sasuke reached for the hand he had no intention of surrendering so easily.
…
The gale's dashing speed kidnapped the burnt sienna, lavender, and citrus leaves from their respective stems on their parched branches. The chlorophyll drained from the fruitful tree at the first indication of autumn, rendering mother's nature's creature terribly dehydrated. Alone. The rugged bark chapped from the trunk of the gigantic organism, the limbs still smiled. The barren plant that showed no evidence of prior longevity, still stood tall and strong, staring.
Staring right at Naruto.
And Naruto stared back.
In the early morning, they spent time counting their similarities, discounting their differences.
Especially one in particular.
One was optimistic about the coming of spring—while the other dreaded it's arrival.
A pack of summer birds flocked in, observing the tree closely, hopping from fragile sapling to sapling, and chirping to one another. Their contrasting fluorescent feathers dazzled Naruto as they took to the sky without fair warning, abandoning two tiny baby birds to fend for themselves.
The finest example of alienation.
…
Sitting on the bench, Sasuke watched the bird's fly away silently wishing he could partake in the journey take to another land where he could start anew.
With Naruto.
A place where no one controlled what they did, and how they did it.
Sighing and lowering his head, he felt a weight press against his arm. Looking over, he saw the head of messy yellow hair snuggling into his toned left arm. He lifted his arm and pulled Naruto into his chest as he heard the blond release a sigh of his own.
Today was definitely going to be the longest day of their lives.
…
Even though they went to the least inhabited section of the campus, Gaara, Temari, and Kiba still managed to hunt them out like they had tracking devices imbedded in their wrists.
"Sasuke! Naruto! My loves," Temari gushed, waggling in her knee length, deep magenta Gucci dress. She tentatively approached them in platinum silver Christina Louboutin flats, insightfully noticing the cloud depression condensing above their heads.
"Sup, mutha fuckas," Kiba lingered precariously behind Temari, sensing a tightness about the two.
Dejected spheres of pastel indigo looked up. "Not today, Kiba."
The wind swiped through Temari's pin straight blond tresses but that wasn't the source of the tremendous amount of queasy chills.
The red headed boy noted this was the sternest but calmest he had ever heard Naruto speak. He also observed that Sasuke's gaze never left the fine cracks in the concrete.
He couldn't determine what happened over the weekend, but whatever it was, it was major.
"Um, let's leave them alone. I-I don't think they really wanna be bothered," Temari lightly urged the pair of boys away buy nudging their rigid shoulders. Confused, they allowed Temari to pull them to safer ground.
"Something happened." Temari's turquoise jewels bounced from her younger brother to her best friend.
"No shit, Sherlock," Gaara emotionlessly gazed into his sister's narrowing eyes.
"Seriously." She rolled her eyes at Gaara's sarcastic stab at her observation.
"What though?" The brunette peered over Gaara's shoulder to see at Naruto literally bandaged to Sasuke's side. A progressive increase in his pulse occurred as he watched Sasuke whisper what looked words of comfort to the Naruto, who looked he was on the verge of massive tears.
"I can't say… But whatever it is, it seemed like it adversely affected both of them." She took a brief look at the couple. "Sasuke couldn't even look at us."
The trio was eaten by the sharp sawing of wind and the impressment of the sun.
Kiba glared at the sight of them. "Secrets don't last long here. It's bound to come out, even if I have to uncover it myself."
…
Class was in session but Sasuke couldn't tell from when. He felt like his ass had been melded to the plastic chair for forever and a half.
He heard the muzzled vibrating coming from his backpack but made no move to retrieve the device.
He knew it was just nosey people… being nosey.
The old mathematician lectured at the front of the clinically clean classroom, reviewing the proofing rules for parallelograms. Sasuke couldn't focus on statements or reasons, or anything at all. He found he just wanted to slouch further into his chair and fall into a deep sleep for the rest of the period. Unfortunately, the teacher was too strict to allow any student to devote his or her class time to 'napping' in his classroom.
"Mister? Can I-Can I go to the bathroom?" Sasuke's empty grey eyes slithered to the melancholy decline in the hoarse voice.
The pregnant blond's nose looked like a cherry tomato as he pushed his unruly gold shrubbery out of glossy sheets of blue.
Obviously, Naruto was having a harder time than him.
Sasuke observed how pensive he was at his school-material-free desk.
"Namikaze, you do realize you go to the bathroom more than anyone I have in this entire school?"
Naruto's confidence suffered from the annular holes the intrusive stares kindled. He evaded the ridiculing gaze his old teacher gave him as he played with the string attached to his hoodie. "I'm sorry."
The teacher buckled, powerless to the unusually gloomy kindred spirit, allowing him to go the bathroom. On the way, he made a small detour to Sasuke's desk, bending at the spine his scorching palms cupping his right cheek. He whispered something unheard by the rest of the soundless students. Subsequently, he issued a kiss that surpassed the daintiness of a feather being effortlessly carried in a powerful gust.
It was incredibly touching how much in love they were. Students took usually their PDA as an exhibition of status or a play on superiority but this time they could tell it was not addled by a drop of negativity or an obligation to impress.
When they were near each other, it didn't feel like anyone else was there.
…
Naruto closed the door to his home. Correction, house. Correction again, shelter. When he walked past the blinding white platelets of tile, and stumbled on his parents apparently waiting for him to return to school, he found he needed to make one more last correction: battleground.
Taking his backpack off his back, Naruto gave his father an incredulous look.
"I see you found your way back to your place of residence. Have a seat." Minato erectly stood, his hands shoved deep into his navy slacks, with blue eyes so enraged they almost guaranteed to turn the manor into charcoal cinders just leaving stainless steel foundation.
The rope of emotion wrung high as Naruto gaped at his silent mother, the model of virtue.
He somehow wished his mom would defend him as he pleadingly locked eyes with her.
"Why I-I?"
"I said, sit DOWN," Minato growled with the ferocity of a displeased lion.
Naruto shuttered, following orders.
As he rushed to sit next to his mother, Minato saw his white hoodie pull around his raised abdomen. A cloak of white anger danced behind his lids as his mood deteriorated to his rotten core and badgered his inflated ego.
"Before you ran off with your fellow degenerate, Sasuke, Fugaku told you what we decided we want you to give the baby up for adoption after the baby is born."
'Fugaku and I.'
Naruto uncomfortably twitched at the words. The subtle but telling reaction almost made Minato feel bad for doing this to his son. Almost.
"Is there anything else that you request in accompaniment with our decision? Maybe a personal doctor or a midwife?"
"Sasuke." Naruto croaked. "I'm not breaking up with Sasuke. If you make me, I'll just see him behind your back."
Indecisive, Minato stinted, snarling at the honest ultimatum.
"You already think I'm the absolute worst, what's a little bit more gasoline to the flames?" Naruto shrugged, not denying the wetness balancing along his eye socket, along with the increase in the temperature of his attitude.
"Alright," He finally agreed, not confirming nor denying what he thought of his own son. "I'll allow you to stay with him."
Sucking in a drum of air around him, Naruto felt a pinch of relief. "Thank you," He said weakly.
Stonefaced, Minato said nothing waiting for something, perhaps for a confession of some sort.
"Can, can you reconsider about our baby?" Naruto shrunk incompliantly grimacing, as if he had been burned for asking.
Minato scoffed, walking away.
"Dad! Can you at least hear me out?" Naruto hopelessly shouted after him.
"You can't have the best of both worlds, Naruto!"
Naruto's eyebrows pulled together. Did he think he was being greedy for wanting both?
Disappearing into the corridor, the blond felt the tears depart from his unblinking eyes. Mindless, he wiped them away. "Mom, can you talk to him? If anyone can c-change his mind, it's you." Naruto touched her arm and she felt as if his despondency stroked the shell of her heart. The encasing shell of ice.
"P-please?"
She nodded slowly.
She would do what she could for a lost cause.
…
November 3
"Naruto Namikaze?" The short dark haired nurse read from her clipboard aloud into the empty waiting room.
"That's…me." Naruto politely smiled, raising from the occasional chair, with Sasuke in tow.
"Right this way," She nodded with a smile holding the door open for them as she led them back to be prepped them for the ultrasound. First, the doctor took all his vitals. Most of them were perfectly normal. "Your blood pressure is a little high," She said pushing Naruto's shirt above his stomach.
"Have you been stressed or worried lately?" The doctor squeezed a cold water based gel onto Naruto's bare skin.
He winced, looking at Sasuke anxiously.
"Somewhat." Sasuke shrugged to answer the doctor's question.
"Mmm, maybe you should consider swimming or maybe yoga lessons to release some stress."
Sasuke nodded. He could do yoga with Naruto, even though he thought the practice was mildly ridiculous, it might actually be relaxing for Naruto. Maybe it could get his mind off the whole adoption fiasco. Lately, it seemed to be all he ever thought about.
Dr. Suze unexpectedly placed the transponder on his stomach and rubbed around.
On the monitor, they could see the small fetus curled in his uterus.
Naruto gasped. It was like a ton of reality slapped him. It was a real life living inside him…
And it was absolutely beautiful.
The fluctuating black and white image captured Naruto's attention and Sasuke's as well.
He almost forgot about his presence until he felt him hold his hand in his own.
The doctor smiled at the image display. "A very strong heart beat."
Sasuke smiled as she moved the transponder around checking for any abnormalities with the baby. "Everything looks relatively normal—healthy."
She read the BP and whispered something to herself, keeping her eyes on the screen.
She looked over to the Uchiha with a smooth grin. "You the boyfriend?"
"Yeah."
"You do know it's safe to have sex during the pregnancy?" She slyly teased, moving the device to the left. "Of course, if the libido is still there." She momentarily glimpsing at the boy on the table.
The two blushed in tandem. Naruto gave a small smile, looking breathless as usual. "I'm sure he knows doctor. He's very up to date on his research."
The woman's pony tail caressed her shoulder as she childishly giggled.
The humorous air cleared as the doctor checked the levels of amniotic fluid. "Would you like to know the sex?" She looked at the stunned boy before mentally confirming her justifications.
Naruto quickly nodded, not trusting his mouth to speak.
"Congratulations, you're having a little baby girl."
…
November 5
Sasuke sat in his computer chair, his financial statements laid across his desk, his laptop logged into his bank account. His hand was settled above his upper lip as he stared at the figures.
There was no way they could run away—not right now anyway.
He didn't have enough money to support his baby girl, Naruto, and himself for long. With no employment and no high school diploma there wasn't many job he was qualified for. He didn't have a license for the underground car repair garage he currently worked for. Unlike regular repair jobs, he didn't work under commission. Kakashi allowed him to pocket all the cash he made for each vehicle he repaired. It was a small price to pay for such quick hands around.
He was paid handsomely but if he left, he would no longer to be able to contribute to the monetary necessities of their life.
If they were going to leave, it needed to be permanent, not temporary.
Sasuke heard his room door creak open to reveal his mother.
"Hey, Sasuke. How is everything?" She asked knowing howeverythingwas.
"Mom, I'm worried about Naruto." Mikoto arranged her stance even neater, feeling her hands clutch the knob tighter.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"He's not really eating or sleeping well… His stress seems to be causing physical manifestations of pain." Sasuke ran his trembling hand though his hair.
"I don't… I don't want him to lose our baby girl."
Mikoto felt daggers in her knees as she watched her reclusive son's frustration mount on his usually unexpressive face.
"I'm sorry—"
Not wanting to hear her excuses, Sasuke swiftly interrupted, "If you're not going to help me, then get the fuck out."
"Sa—"
Like a beast on a singeing rampage, he flung the nearest object at his bedroom door. "Now!"
Clay splintered against the door frame as his mother promptly exited.
Heavily huffing, abandonment rushed in and replaced the void of helplessness.
If he wanted to help Naruto, he had to do it his fucking self.
…
November 7, Pool House
"Naruto, you have to eat something." Sasuke pushed the fruit bowl horizontally across the table as he wordlessly declined.
"I already told you, If I eat, I'm just gonna throw it up." Naruto twirled limp blond hair, surprised how fragile the strands had become.
"You need to reduce stress. If…" Sasuke began to propose.
Naruto looked adorable as his blue eyes drifted over Sasuke's as he thoughtfully spoke.
"I talked to my father about changing his mind; do you think you would feel better?"
A smile crawled onto fuller pink lips as he nodded.
Sasuke knew he had just stepped into hell and shut the door behind him but he really didn't care. Naruto was worth every blistering second he spent in the hall of condemnation. Although nothing of fruition would come from talking to that monster, he didn't mind of putting himself on a limb, especially when it came to his daughter.
…
Stepping into the overcrowded but fairly organized study, Sasuke entered, certain to close the door behind himself.
"Have you been avoiding me father?" Sasuke languidly strode toward the overstocked desk.
His father placed his pen down and relaxed back in his ruby lounge chair. "Do you think you're so special that I would compromise my meddling schedule for the likes you, boy?"
"I have no clue what goes on in that fucked up head of yours', assuming there's any activity at all. There can't be much with the things you've been proposing lately?"
Licking his dry lips, Sasuke narrowed stingy gray eyes. "Have you finally lost your fucking mind?"
"Likewise," his father answered with a scowl.
"How so,Fugaku?" Sasuke asked, his anger fermenting—expressed in calling his father by his first name. Uncaring of Sasuke's disrespectful jab at him, he smirked. Sasuke had always been the one to purposely push his buttons right off of their sewn arrangement.
"Thinking you are of age to reproduce, and expecting us to accommodate for a child that was created because your lover can't keep his legs closed. Are you even certain the child is even yours, co—"
"Naruto's no slut. He's only ever been with me."
"How are you so sure of that? He's not in your line of vision 24 hours a day…" Fugaku trailed off, twisting in the mobile chair.
"Stop. A snowball has more of a chance in hell than you causing me to doubt Naruto."
He smirked with a sound of amusement. "Can't blame me for trying."
"Was it your bright idea to bring us into the conference room and tell us we were going to give our child up for adoption?"
"It was short of my original choice but yes." Sasuke blanched at the answer.
Did he mean what he thought he meant?
Originally he wanted Naruto to have an abortion?
Short of breath, Sasuke concluded, yes, his father had lost his fucking mind.
"What are you hoping to achieve by us surrendering our child to a broken system?"
"Keep what little dignity I have left—better yet, this family."
Charging his open palm into the surface of the desk, the barrel of suppression finally combusted. "You knowdamnwell this isn't about pride! What's the real reason you're being so fucking persistent about this?"
"I just feel no personal ties or obligations to that child. You deserve a chance at life—not a being tied down by a baby for the rest of your life." His father rose from the chair, moving to leave the room and Sasuke resisted the urge to closeline the older male—along with all other bodily harm.
He was leaving the conundrum unsolved, walking out, but Sasuke's words temporarily held him.
"Regardless of what you say, she's your grandchild and blood is thicker than water." Sasuke swallowed with consternation, closing his eyes, and riding on the coattails of silence.
"Blood or not—that child means nothing to me," He uncommiseratively muttered, clutching the knob of the door.
"I could say the same thing about you."
…
November 9
"Sasukeeee," Naruto sung climbing down the rectangular glass stairs of the pool house.
Sasuke's ears perked at the sweet sound finding the alien pleasantness abnormal in the dreary setting of clouds peering through the emphasized windows.
"Helloooo." The pinken blond initially curled in the periwinkle love seat, then transferred his comfort to Sasuke's thighs. Grey eyes roved the flushed flesh and elated azure eyes, regarding the smoother appeal in his beautiful olive skin.
"Hey," Sasuke slowly answered, concentrating pulling the neck of his white short sleeved shirt over the exposed sliver of taupe.
Distracted, Sasuke felt a hand adventure into his dark locks, massaging his scalp. With his concentration broken by the delightful sensation, Sasuke looked back at his rejuvenated boyfriend.
Surprised how much Naruto's mood improved, he felt a bite of fear.
"Have you talked to your dad, Sasuke?" A beeline of tingles on his collarbone wasn't enough to stop Sasuke from stalling.
Sasuke absorbed the fuller parted lips and pleading eyes.'Please, don't lie to me.'
The Uchiha's thumb skimmed over the open lips, not able to look into the anticipating blue eyes—'I'm sorry.'
"I haven't…gotten the chance."
"Oh, well when you do. Let me know what he says?" Sasuke shut his eyes, feeling a brush against his lips, but no contact, instead they pressed against his nose and then his forehead.
Solemnly nodding, Sasuke feared that in the end, he would be the one that hurt Naruto the most.
…
EndTransmission.
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