Chapter 13: Shopping

Hi guys. Hope everyone is well. I have an update. I apologize for chapters taking long to get out. I have all the ideas to write just not enough time to actually write. Life gets hectic so fast. But I am writing…just not fast. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

I want to thank everyone who still cares about this and is reading. I apologize for not responding to reviews but I read each and every one and I and I appreciate you so so much, To the guest reviewers, I literally cannot respond to your message but I see it and I love it. Thanks a million you guys.

Enjoy

XOXO

It was already late morning; Hinata had wiped the counters twice already and fluffed the sitting room pillows more times than was necessary. She was procrastinating, taking her time doing nonsensical tasks to prolong approaching Kawaki. When she told Naruto that she wanted to take the teen shopping she didn't exactly have a plan for how she was going to ask him. The thought of being rejected or shoved off makes her chest burn.

She heaves a giant sigh and ventures down the hallway until she is standing in front of his closed door. She raises a hand to knock on the dark wood and waits. There's the sound of shuffling from the other side before the door is swung open.

"I'm not really hungry," Kawaki starts, bypassing any pleasantries. He didn't come out for breakfast this morning and Hinata was too nervous to force him. His tone makes her smile drop a fraction but she rationalizes that he still needs time to get used to her.

"Oh," she squeaks. "Uh, actually I was…" she expels a breath. "I need to go to the shopping center to get some stuff and I was wondering if you wanted to come along. Scratch that, I need you to accompany me," she finishes in a firmer tone.

"I'm sure you wouldn't want to deny a pregnant woman when she is asking for help right?" Hinata figures she may as well use the guilt card. It always works on Boruto, and what kind of mother would she be if she didn't use the greatest weapon in her arsenal?

The teenager just stares at her. Hinata keeps a smile on her face and waits for a reaction. He rolls his eyes and steps out of the room, closing the door behind him. She fights the urge to do a happy dance.

It takes them twice the normal time to get to the shopping center. Hinata was stopped every few minutes to be congratulated on her pregnancy. The news officially released a few days ago but she hadn't encountered any attention because she hadn't ventured out of the house and into the crowds.

For the most part, people were respectful, offering heartfelt congratulations and well-intended prayers. Kawaki tensed with every interaction, fighting the urge to run away or bleed into the background. She smiled dutifully accepting the attention but at the same time trying to keep the conversation to a minimum, aware of Kawaki's discomfort.

Once they reach their destination, Hinata is a little out of breath and fidgeting nervously. She turns to the dark-haired teenager, "So I may have told you a tiny white lie."

His brows furrow, waiting for her to elaborate. She shrugs, "It's more like a half-truth. I do need your help." She nods. "But I wanted to get you some clothes and shoes and stuff and I needed you here to choose."

He tries to hide his surprise at her words but fails, "I – uh- that's okay. You don't have to buy me stuff."

She smiles warmly, "I want to. And you need it." She looks at his current apparel. "Unless you like Naruto's clothes."

He stares down at his body, the orange track pants at odds with his back t-shirt and general look. "I guess it…wouldn't be horrible. You sure it isn't a hassle?" he asks in a small voice.

"Of course," she brushes him off. "I have some family money and I'm kinda mad at my father right now so this is perfect." She loops her hand around his and by some miracle he lets her. It's some kind of poetic justice that her father had so much to say about Kawaki and now it would be Hyuga money that would pay for his stuff. Hinata, despite popular belief, can be really petty if the situation calls for it.

"I was thinking maybe five sets each," she postulates. "We can go with neutral colors…pants, for instance, black, grey, white, cream…blue maybe." she thinks out loud, ticking each option off with her fingers. "What do you think?"

His eyes bulge, "five? Are you sure?" He asks in apprehension.

Hinata purses her lips. "You're right, we should do eight to be safe."

"No!" He all but shouts. "Five is good. Five is perfect." He can't imagine needing so many garments of clothing, much less doing the actual shopping for those things.

They make their way into the department store, perusing the shelves. Hinata holds up different options for him to choose from, even forcing him into a changing room to ensure they have the right sizes. Kawaki has never done shopping before but he can say with absolute certainty that he hates it. He gets so tired after a while that he tells her she can take whatever she wants for him as long as it falls within the allocated five-number requirement.

Hinata on the other hand absolutely loves shopping. She takes the time to stock up on a few staple clothes items for Boruto, pants and shirts. She also finds some beautiful dresses for Himawari and some hair accessories. She gets a few clothes for Naruto as well, knowing she would have to convince her husband to actually wear it, instead of the same old t-shirts and pants he is so fond of.

One of the things they struggled with at the beginning of their marriage was money. Naruto never had much money to begin with and Hinata while was never really extravagant in her purchases, always had money. So certain things that were a given for her were a luxury for Naruto. He never wanted her money even though she would always tell him it was their money. Sharing a life meant sharing burdens and successes but he would refuse. He said she was free to use her money on anything she wanted but he wanted to be the one to do the big things; to foot their expenses.

Naruto was always one to stretch the uses of things. When it came to food, he would never waste, ever, no matter how full he was. When it came to clothes he would use the same things until it was old and utilized beyond measure. Only then would he say he needed a new jacket or a new pair of boots. He's gotten much better over the years but Hinata expects that he will never forget those feelings, habits, and urges of his childhood, not completely.

She shakes her head and focuses on Kawaki again. Shopping with him is an almost silent affair. He doesn't really talk or make eye contact. He often grunts or if he is forced, would give monosyllabic answers. He stares a lot, his gaze flittering to the scene around him, making sure to avoid physical contact with strangers and running in another direction when he thinks someone wants to speak with him.

He's observant and considerate though; asking to sit when he sees her rubbing her lower back. He walks slower than an average male when they are walking from one shop to another, and allows her to hold his elbow if she needs the extra support. It's more than she expected from the boy who spent the majority of the week ignoring her and the rest of the family.

"We should get something to eat before going home," Hinata suggests. "Oooh, let's get something sweet from the bakery." Her mouth watered at the thought of cake.

"I'm sorry I'm making you do so much work Kawaki," she patted him on the shoulder. "Do you want me to push the cart?" she gestured to their shopping cart that was filled to the brim with bags from the various outlets.

He angled his body in front of the cart blocking her from grabbing the handles. "No, I'm pushing it. it's fine."

They made their way into the bakery, Hinata looking around the space for an empty table for them to sit but before she could guide Kawaki in the direction she was stopped by a cheery voice.

"Mrs Uzumaki. How lovely to see you today. You're positively glowing," the older woman gushes.

Hinata smiles warmly, "thank you Mrs. Kimura. I really appreciate the kind words." This was the nth encounter for the day and Hinata was beyond exhausted but she couldn't find it in herself to be mean to a woman who only wished her well, even though more often than not they get too close to her personal space and asked her inappropriate questions.

"Congratulations dear. I can't imagine how you're going to manage with another child in your family, but if anyone can do it, it's our Lord Seventh," the woman continued, reaching out to caress Hinata's belly. Kawaki's hand shot out halting her actions.

"What do you think you're doing?" His voice was hard and cold as steel. His face set in a deep frown, showing his displeasure. The blonde-haired woman took a step back at the look in his eyes. "You don't go around touching people's bodies without permission."

Hinata chuckled nervously, feeling oddly touched despite Kawaki's harsh tone. "He's a little overprotective," she explains but doesn't offer an apology. There's a tense silence that follows, neither person knowing what to say.

"It was lovely seeing you, we should go find a seat," Hinata smiles gently shoving Kawaki in the direction of an open table.

"Yes," Mrs. Kimura says in relief. "I should be going too."

"Thank you for your well wishes, I'll be sure to share it with Nar- urm Lord Seventh."

They finally make their way to the open table and Hinata is so grateful to be off her feet. She eagerly picks up a menu to peruse, her mouth-watering at the thought of multiple desserts. The moments of eating for enjoyment are far and few between since her morning sickness started so she tries to take advantage of those moments when they arise.

She looks at Kawaki over the top of her menu. "You're thinking really hard over there. Do you want some help?" She offers tentatively. "You can order more than one," she assures, in case he felt like he wouldn't be allowed or was afraid of expressing the feeling of wanting things.

"I don't really know what I like," he mumbles, scowling, as if the thought embarrasses him so much that in turn makes him angry.

"Hmm," she raises a finger to her chin in thought. "You ate the desserts I made. Which ones did you like? The chocolate ones or the vanilla… or something else entirely? If you know what kind of flavors you find tasty then I can give you some options," Hinata suggested casually.

She didn't want him to feel out of place for not knowing. The more time she spends with him the more she sees. It's not always obvious stuff. It's the way he doesn't always know what they're talking about, it's the shock on his face when he's given a choice of things, it's the look on his face when he sees how much Naruto and Boruto can eat in a day, it's in the simplicity of the kindness he receives from people around him when he thinks he doesn't deserve it. Every new thing makes her want to show him things are possible, that it's something he is worthy of having without having to do something in return.

Kawaki takes the time to go over the sweet dishes he's had since arriving at the Uzumaki's. "I liked the chocolate cake you made yesterday…and the chocolate chip cookies you made the first day."

"So chocolate's your thing," she considers before commenting, "Boruto loves chocolate too."

"I changed my mind, chocolate's disgusting," he says with a frown.

Hinata rolls her eyes, "You both can like chocolate…it won't kill you to have something in common."

"I have to disagree with you. I have nothing in common with that idiot."

"Hey! No insults," she chides.

He's saved from a lecture when the waitress walks up to the table. "Hello, are you guys ready to order?"

Hinata looks up at her, she's relatively young, with shoulder-length black hair and soft features. "Hi. Yes, I think we are," she confirms,

"Oh, Mrs. Uzumaki, I didn't realize it was you," she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "Wow, uhm…congratulations," she smiles awkwardly.

"Thank you," Hinata looks at her name tag, "Mei. I appreciate it."

She smiles at Hinata's words. "So what can I get you guys?"

"Oh right. I will have a slice of red velvet cake and a caramel and custard tart." Hinata points out the items on the menu. She then turns to her companion. "And Kawaki will have the…double chocolate cake?" He nods his head at her question, looks down at the menu, and up again before speaking, "And uh dorayaki…"

"Ohh, that's a good choice," Hinata praises.

They hand their menus over. "I'll have some tea. Kawaki what would you like to drink?"

"Water's fine with me."

"Are you sure?"

He nods.

"Okay. That'll be all…oh wait," she pauses. "Could we have a dozen creampuffs to go?"

"Of course, Mrs. Uzumaki, coming right up."

"Thank you very much."

She turns to face Kawaki again, watching him observe his surroundings with a thoughtful expression on his face. She plays with her fingers wondering how to start a conversation with him. "How did you like shopping today?"

His head pivots to stare at her. For a second she thinks he's not going to answer. "It was…not what I expected." He finally settles on.

"What did you expect?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest," he shrugs nonchalantly. "Not as much walking…and definitely didn't expect so many…people."

She laughs at his assessment. "I must apologize for that. It isn't a usual occurrence. People were just excited to share their well wishes with me." Even now everyone in the bakery was giving them second or third glances but weren't approaching their table.

"Why did you let them?" He asks hesitantly.

"What do you mean?"

"You obviously didn't like the attention, especially the unwanted touches, like the creepy lady earlier," he says. "So why didn't you say anything?" It almost sounds like an accusation coming from him. Why didn't she react if she knew she felt a particular way about something?

She toyed with the sugar packets on the center of the table. "it's hard to explain," she hedges.

"Oh. Forget I asked." He brushes his question off.

"No, No," she stretches a hand but stops herself from patting his. "I'm glad you asked. It's more a societal expectation." He looks even more confused by her words.

She straightens herself on her chair, thinking about how to word her answer. "You know that Naruto is Hokage; that means he is the head of the village and being at the top comes with a lot of responsibility and recognition." She says with an upturned hand.

He rolls his eyes.

"It wasn't always like that though," she says. Kawaki looks curious at that but doesn't ask follow-up questions.

"For a long time, Naruto wasn't very well-liked by the villagers. He had to work really hard to get where he is today; to earn the respect of the people.

"And while others may have turned to anger and frustration at the treatment, Naruto never did; if anything it gave him more drive and determination to prove them wrong."

Hinata looks at Kawaki seriously, hoping to jolt the boy with her words. Naruto has inspired so many people that she hopes he can have a similar effect on the teen in front of her.

"The one thing you must know about my husband is that he never gives up. He'll never punish someone for their ignorance or hatred…instead, he works even harder to show them how to be better."

Kawaki looks at his fingers, breaking eye contact with her, intimidated by the intensity of her words. Kawaki hasn't been here long but he can picture the old man being that kind of person. He visited him for days on end without getting anything in return. Yet every day after, he would still be back, patient as ever.

"Naruto loves the Leaf Village and its people. He would do anything to keep both safe. Everyone knows that…and because of it, they all feel like he belongs to them, at least on some level. And that sense of belonging extends to his family." she points at herself.

they are both silent and Hinata decides to end the conversation and the pressure it must put on Kawaki to respond.

"You're right, I do feel uncomfortable at the unwanted touches but I know it comes from a good place. I can never be angry when I know that they are trying to be better and do better because of Naruto, I love him too much for that."

Kawaki absorbs the information without saying a word and Hinata doesn't push him to talk. Their food and drinks come out minutes later and they dip into their respective dishes. Hinata lets the silence continue, it doesn't feel stilted and she finds that she is happy that Kawaki feels comfortable enough to spend time with her and let his guard down a smidge. He even lets her see the small smile and delight on his face at eating his dessert. She counts that as progress.

XOXOX

It was late afternoon and the Uzumaki family were spread out in the living room, enjoying the last remnants of sunshine filtering through the cracked screen door. Hinata was busy knitting a throwover for Kawaki, though she hasn't shared that information yet. The young man doesn't seem like he would know how to respond to the sentiment. Her attention is split between the wool in front of her and the kids sprawled on the living room floor.

Himawari somehow roped the boys into coloring with her. They both have very intricate design pages in front of them and she informed them they could use her pens and pencils, provided they could share. They aren't allowed to touch her added materials like beads and glitter until they prove to be good at sharing first. Now and then they would shove each other or fight over a specific color and then be met with a glare from their younger counterpart which worked perfectly to shut them up.

It's also how Naruto finds them when he walks through the door. "I'm home," he announces, carefully undressing his Hokage cloak and hanging it on the coat rack at the entrance of the room.

"Welcome home Papa," their daughter beams from her position on the floor.

Hinata shifts her focus from her knitting to see her husband placing a package on the side table next to the sofa and ruffling Boruto and Kawaki's hair in greeting. Kawaki jerks at the touch but doesn't completely shy away from it.

He then bends forward to place a soft kiss on the crown of their daughter's head before making his way towards her. He leans over to place a feather-light kiss on the corner of her mouth, the action making her tummy fill with warmth.

"Hello, love." He whispers in greeting, for only her to hear. Boruto picks his head from his coloring and scrunches his nose in disgust.

"Hey! Enough of the kissing. We don't need to see that!"

Naruto smiles cheekily. "Aww Bolt...are you feeling left out?"

"Wha' No," his eyes widen in alarm when he sees his father dive in his direction. Naruto grabs him around the waist and aims a sloppy smooch to his cheek. The more Naruto angles his face the more Bolt struggles. Hima is laughing hysterically and Kawaki is watching with an odd look on his face.

"No. No. Get away from me, old man." Bolt struggles fruitlessly, shoving at Naruto's face.

Naruto continues with the charade for a few more minutes until he eventually ends the torture and then moves back towards the couch after successfully placing his lips affectionately on Boruto's face.

Boruto makes a big deal of wiping his cheek with the sleeve of his hand, "Seriously Dad, you're so embarrassing."

"I love you too Bolt!" Naruto teases before grabbing Hinata's feet and placing them on his lap, gently massaging the soles.

"So how was everyone's day?" He asks curiously.

Himawari drops her colored pencil and recounts every minute of her day, from the moment she walked into class, to Shino's demonstration and to the beautiful butterfly she saw on her walk home with her brother.

Everyone listened to her stories patiently, not interrupting unless it was to ask any further questions. Hinata was always in awe at the attentiveness Naruto and Boruto gave to Hima but she was genuinely surprised at Kawaki, who also seemed caring enough to listen to her.

"And you, Kawaki, how was shopping today?" Naruto enquired.

Instead of answering Kawaki shares a look with Hinata, his face softening ever so slightly before shrugging nonchalantly, "It was fine."

"Did you find anything good?" Naruto prompts.

"It was clothes ...nothing special about it." Kawaki insists, tone dismissive, except Hinata knows it's probably a bigger deal to him than he is making it out to be.

"We found some amazing non-orange clothes Naruto. Kawaki liked those best." She shares, shifting the attention to her teasing.

"What's wrong with orange? It's a very flattering color." The blonde huffs in pride.

"It's really not bad.," Bolt gently reminds him.

"You're just saying that because you can't pull it off. It's a very manly color."

"Sure," Bolt placates but rolls his eyes when Naruto looks away.

Hinata finally zeros in on the package that Naruto walked in with. Her eyes fixate on the deep red color of the box, wondering why Naruto brought it out in plain sight but does not talk about it.

"What's in the bag?" Hinata asks eventually, her curiosity winning out.

Naruto smiles mischievously as he places the package on her lap. "Why don't you open it and find out."

She tilts her head to the side contemplating his words. Her eyebrows furrow in confusion, Naruto wouldn't ask her to open an inappropriate gift in front of the kids...would he?

It's almost like Naruto was reading her mind at that moment, "No it's nothing like that." She flushes at being caught out.

" You'll like it, I promise." He caresses her knee.

Before she can respond their daughter speaks up, "What did you get me, papa?"

Naruto widens his eyes, unsure of how to tell the little girl that he has nothing for her. Bolt begins speaking, "Hima, he doesn't-" Naruto clasps his hand over his son's mouth effectively cutting the boy off.

"I'm sorry Hima. I completely forgot your gift at the office. I promise to bring it tomorrow." He says suppressing a look of disgust when Boruto messily licks at his palm in revenge.

"That's okay, but don't forget."

Hinata should reprimand Naruto for lying to Hima and giving in to her unspoken plea but she decides to let it slide for now. She focuses her attention on the package on her lap, unwrapping the ribbon on around the top of the box. With the clasp loosened she pries the sides open peering inside.

Her eyes light up at the contents and she lets out a gleeful gasp. The kids all angle their bodies towards her trying to see what's inside.

Hinata can't help the tearing of her eyes and leaps forward to embrace her husband. "This is amazing. Thank you, Naruto. How did you even find them?"

Bolt manages to grasp the package and they all look inside.

"All of that for candy? Seriously Mum? Are you that easily fooled by the old man?"

Hinata playfully swats her son in return. "It's not just candy. It's special."

"What's so special about it?" Kawaki asks, looking at her for an answer.

Hinata smiles at the memory. "When I was pregnant with Boruto I used to be sick a lot."

"You used to be a menace before you were even born Bolt!" Naruto quips and narrowly dodges a hit from his wife.

Hinata fixes a heavy glare on Naruto that makes him laugh nervously and avoid eye contact.

"Anyway." She looks back at Kawaki her gaze soft. "I struggled a lot with eating food because everything tasted horrible or I just couldn't keep it down. And then one day Naruto visited these important delegates from a neighboring village."

"It was purely an accident. I didn't even realize it would be helpful."

"Naruto you're jumping ahead."

"Yeah Papa, stop interrupting Mama."

He raises his hand in defeat.

"Right. So where was I...yes. he visited the village and at some point during the stay they offered Naruto these sweets. And your father as usual put them in his pocket and completely forgot about them."

"When I was cleaning out his bags when he returned I found them. I don't know what made me eat them but I just felt like it. And it turns out it was a perfect cure for my morning sickness."

"Yes, which meant that I needed to travel for three days to go back to that village and beg them to let me buy them in bulk," Naruto informs them.

"Did they let you?" Kawaki asks.

Naruto laughs at the memory. "They thought I was crazy." All three kids stopped their activity to focus on Naruto.

"I arrived in the middle of the night, soaking wet from the rain, waving this tiny sweet in front of my face like a maniac."

Naruto licks his lip before continuing, "This old lady took pity on me and let me in. I explained to her that I have a very pregnant wife who was miserable and somehow this tiny thing," Naruto holds up the brown candy, "helps her keep food down."

"Anyway long story short, they were impressed that I came all the way back for it and they gave me a few boxes. They told me if I needed more I could just send a message and they would have it delivered to me."

She turns to look at Naruto. "I can't believe you remembered them Naruto, " Hinata whispers reverently before going in for another hug, sinking into the comfort of her husband's arms.

"You're welcome honey," Naruto responds.

"Can we try them, mama?" Hima shyly asks. Hinata pulls back from Naruto's embrace and looks at her.

"Okay, only one each," the pregnant woman responds possessively, gingerly placing a single sweet in all three kids' palms.

Hima makes a thinking face, really processing the taste, Kawaki takes his and puts them in his pocket and Boruto throws the sweet into the air until it falls into his mouth. He sucks for two seconds and then promptly spits it out.

"Eww that's disgusting," he shudders bodily, his body colliding with Hima, who tries to dodge him, pushing into Kawaki who lurches toward the coffee table, the glass vase shaking until it tips over and shatters on the floor.

"Bolt!" Naruto chides, "You could take out someone's eye with a shot," knocking the sweet that was heading right for him, so it falls onto the floor.

"I do have excellent aim," Boruto admits.

"Oh no," Hina exclaims. "Hima, watch the glass on the floor," she warns.

"Sorry mama, it was a mistake."

"It's okay baby, as long as no one is hurt."

Everyone is looking at the shattered glass, Naruto slips into the kitchen for the dustpan to clean it up.

"Mama, something is wrong with Kawaki."

They all turn to look at him. He's frozen in place, eyes glued to the shattered glass but his gaze looks vacant. He's shivering slightly, lost in a memory.

"Naruto," Hina arches her head toward the kitchen. He's holding the dustpan in his hand. They make eye contact and she tilts her head in the younger man's direction.

"Kawaki," Hima whispers, reaching a hand out to him. Bolt is quick enough to stop her, pulling her back. He's able to notice the change and doesn't want Hima to feel the brunt of an emotional outburst.

Naruto drops the pan and makes his way around the sofa so he is directly in front of Kawaki. He kneels, making him somewhat at eye level, and can see the emotional turmoil in the boy's eyes.

"Kawaki? Can you hear me?" Naruto chooses a soft tone, scared to startle him.

Kawaki slowly tilts his head, eyes clashing with Naruto. He can see the pain in his eyes, and bright as a light, immense fear.

"I didn't," he stutters, voice dry. "I didn't mean to break it. I - I - I don't know." He's breathing heaving, panic rising in his voice.

"I'm sorry, I'll clean it up," he swallows, reaching out with his bare hands to pick at the glass.

Naruto stops his hand. "Kawaki it's okay. It's not your fault." He makes sure to make eye contact.

"You didn't do anything wrong. We're not mad at you. We're not going to hurt you," Naruto vehemently states, hoping his tone and words are enough to convince the boy.

He turns to look at the rest of them, meeting mixed gazes of worry and concern.

He turns back to Naruto. "May I be excused?"

Naruto can tell that Kawaki is feeling open and vulnerable and doesn't wish for them to see him like that. "Of course. You don't have to ask permission."

Kawaki silently picks himself up from the floor and makes his way to his bedroom. Naruto looks at Hinata, both sharing a look of concern, hoping this hasn't destroyed the little progress Kawaki has made with them.

"Papa," Hima breaks the silence. "Is Kawaki alright?"

He gives her a soft look. "He's...not...but he will be. We just have to give him some time."

Hinata picks up the dustpan and makes her way to the other side of the coffee table.

"It's okay love. I'll clean it up," Naruto takes it from her and they all disperse from the living room.

There's a sense of sadness in their house that night, each person lost in their own thoughts, wondering what they could do to help Kawaki.

XOXO

There's a tense silence in their room that night, Hinata walks from the bathroom to the bedroom, going to check on the kids, comes back in, and goes for the dresser.

"Hinata, stop pacing. You're tired love. Come to bed." Naruto says from his side of their bed. The only light in the room is the two lampshades, casting a soft glow.

"I can't sleep Naruto. I feel so helpless." She stops at the foot of the bed, shaking her hands out.

"I know. I feel pretty crappy too. We just need to give him some time. If we go to him now, he is going to feel cornered and pitied. He'll hate that."

Hinata gets into a kneeling position on the bed, her butt resting on the ends of her feet. "I just feel like he took five steps back. He was getting used to us. He opened up a little to me today. And now…"

"Come here," Naruto motions, opening his arms for her to nestle into his chest. Hinata complies silently, accepting the comfort he is offering. "It'll be okay," He rubs a hand down her arms, "Kawaki is stronger than we give him credit for." She nods her head, agreeing with her husband.

"I just want to help him."

"The best thing we can do is let him know that we are here to help. He needs to be able to come to us on his terms. If we force it we may be just as bad as the people in his life that made him feel the way he did tonight." He runs a soothing hand up and down her arms, the warmth of his body making her relax.

They settle into a stale silence and Naruto decides a distraction is better to get her mind off of things.

"So, another important question. Babies nursery…what are you thinking?" Naruto enquires. They are almost at the halfway mark of Hinata's pregnancy which means they need to start making logical preparations for the twins.

She bites her lip in consideration. "I was thinking of cleaning out the playroom next door. It's just filled with junk and old toys. We could redecorate it into a nursery. It could work."

"We could do that. I don't know how long that would work for, but for now, it is possible."

"What do you mean? How long it could work for…."

"Hinata, we're having two babies. Eventually, they're going to need their own rooms and our house isn't big enough to fit two more rooms. Can you imagine four kids sharing a bathroom?"

She cringes at the picture. Boruto and Hima fight about the bathroom constantly and Kawaki added to the mix means even more explosive fights.

"What do you suggest we do? This is our home."

"We could maybe add another floor…possibly, Or we may have to look into a new home."

Hinata blanches at the thought, shaking her head vehemently.

Hinata hums thoughtfully. "You seem unsure. Why the hesitation Hina?"

"I don't want Kawaki to feel left out."

"Trust me, when the babies come he'll probably be grateful for the distance.

Hinata looks contemplative. "Maybe. I don;t know how I feel about moving a new though. This is our home. We have so many memories here."

"We'll make new memories." Naruto whispers.

"I dont know," she bites her lip. "I'll think about it. But for now we can start with cleaning the junk room. I'll look into it this week."

Naruto frowns. "You better not try cleaning that room. There's a lot of boxes there. Don't try picking them up. Ask Boruto...or Kawaki. Better yet, we can wait for the weekend and I'll help."

"Hmm," she hums, eyes closed, head against his chest. He lowers onto the bed, getting into a more relaxing position to sleep. They can re-visit this conversation tomorrow.

XOXOX

The house was quiet. Kawaki couldn't hear any commotion coming from beyond his room. He glances at the clock, 21:38. It's late enough that they could all be in their rooms, but still early enough that they could be awake. He contemplates the possibility of running into any Uzumaki if he leaves the room.

The last thing he wants is to be forced into a conversation with any of them. The youngest was too curious and innocent for her own good. She would ask him questions with no real way of knowing just how deep they were. And the head Uzumaki was just as bad. He had this aura about him, that unnerved Kawaki. He smiles and laughs and jokes so easily. He gives affection so easily, both with words and actions that Kawaki can't help but be swept into it. It feels genuine and considerate and that's the part that bothers him. He knows never to trust a kind hand, there's always an ulterior motive.

But Naruto doesn't come across like that, and he looks at Kawaki like he knows what he is thinking. It feels like he knows that Kawaki is untrusting of his altruism but he does it anyway, with a look of understanding. And it bothers him to no end because the more he learns about these people, Naruto especially, the more he thinks that they could really understand him.

Hinata was the worst though. He hates it. She forces him to eat breakfast with her. She looks at him with so much care he doesn't know what to do with it. She so shyly asks him for help when she is making dinner. He has actually come to enjoy those moments. She never asks him to talk. They work in synchronized movements. Sometimes they don't talk, other times she talks and he pretends not to listen but he's storing all the listening to all the information, unnecessary as it is. Tells him about Naruto and what he was like as a teenager. Talks about different ninja tournaments, talks about Himawari and that idiot Boruto.

She never demands any reciprocity from him and never doubts him when she places a knife in his hand. Never looks at him like he could crush her; like he could take the knife to her throat and escape this shitty village. She never looks at him like a monster, never looks at him the way he was looked at his whole life, with contempt, with hatred, like he was this insignificant thing only there to be poked and prodded, to be used and discarded. He hates her the most because her affection isn't unconscious like Himawari. She does it on purpose. She is kind and nice and beautiful and dare he say it ...loving... because she knows no other way. Because being that way is so intrinsic to her, so much a part of who she is that it's a no-brainer to give herself to Kawaki that way. And he hates it...he hates that he doesn't hate it at all. In fact, in this short time he has come to depend on it, he has come to like it. He has never liked anything in his life. It's too dangerous when you know nothing good.

He decides to bite the bullet and leaves the confines of his room, another thing he hates that they did. They gave him a room, and the freedom to do whatever he wanted with it. The simple gesture was a luxury he never had. Something of his own, a place to belong and command as he wishes. A place he doesn't have to invite anyone in if he doesn't want to. He'll never admit it to anyone, it's hard to even admit it to himself, but that first night in this place he cried himself to sleep, overwhelmed with something he couldn't explain, overwhelmed with the reality of emotions he couldn't understand.

He is so in his head that he registers the sounds too late and he is in the living room before he knows it. The room is dark, the only light is emitting from the television. Boruto pauses and fixes him with a look. For a long second, they just stare at each other, neither one sure how to proceed.

"Oh look who's alive," Boruto comments dryly. Kawaki supposes if he were to run into anyone he is glad it's the idiot. Boruto doesn't back down from him, is annoying in everything he does, and right now the familiarity is welcome. Kawaki can't understand how someone who has all that he has, a family, a home, people who don't judge him, who love him despite his obvious annoyance, is the way he is.

Kawaki just glares at him and walks towards the refrigerator, more for something to do and less because he is thirsty. He grabs a bottle of water and goes to close the refrigerator. "Oi, while you're there, grab me a soda."

Kawaki grits his teeth at the command, and out of spite grabs the soda he knows Boruto likes the least. He walks back to the living room, all but throwing the can at his head. The stupid idiot intercepts it flawlessly. He turns to go back to his room.

"Here," Boruto offers. He turns to see what he is being offered. On the seat next to the blond-haired boy is a controller. He slowly walks back to the couch, places his bottle on the coffee table, and then grabs the controller.

The game is still on, a character in battle mode but not fighting. Boruto fiddles with the controller until they come to a screen with different characters.

"Use the arrows to move from side to side," Boruto instructs.

Kawaki tests the action, moving the right arrow. On the side of the screen, he sees a character pop up. He furrows his brows.

"Pick someone you want to fight with," Boruto instructs. Kawaki looks at Boruto and then back to the screen. He settles on a character called Baki.

The screen changes, the voice in the background urging him to start. He tests the arrows, pressing the buttons tentatively, trying to get a feel of the movements. He manages to actually hit his opponent a few times but he definitely gets more of a beating. He presses the buttons more aggressively trying to figure it out.

"Hey no, no button smashing. You have to be strategic about it." Boruto scolds.

"What do you know about strategy? And I saw you do the same thing a few minutes ago." He grunts. "If anything you're a horrible teacher."

"Screw you! I'm a great teacher," he puffs out his chest,"...and an excellent strategist...just ask Konohamaru sensei."

"And delusional too," Kawaki snipes back. This he can do. This easy back and forth with Boruto. At least he can count on Brouto to talk to him normally. He would have definitely gotten into a fight in the middle of the night if the boy had given him a look with even an ounce of pity.

"I'll show you delusional," Boruto retorts, exiting the game and opening up a one-on-one match. "I'll whip your ass so badly, you'll definitely cry."

They both pick their players, Kawaki settling on a girl named Lulu, wearing a blue costume. Boruto laughs at his choice.

"Let's see how much you laugh when I beat you with a girl."

"Oh, it's on!" He promises.

They spend the next hour, playing video games, their retorts getting louder the more that time goes on.

"Bolt!" Naruto shouts. "Keep it down."

"Sorry Dad," Boruto responds distractedly.

"It's late! One more hour Bolt!" Naruto commands from the top of the stairs.

They don't respond. He walks down, "Bolt, did you hear me?" Both boys look at him.

"Oh come on Dad. Two more hours," he holds up two fingers in a peace sign with a wide grin on his face.

Naruto sighs, "Fine. But keep the volume to a minimum. Some of us are trying to sleep." His eyes briefly land on Kawaki and Kawaki ignores the assessing look he is receiving. The concern on Naruto's face was palpable.

Kawaki looks at his back when he walks up the stairs. "Ten bucks Kawaki beats your ass," Naruto says in conclusion.

Boruto reacts as expected. "Wow! My own father betting against me! The audacity!" He shakes his hand. "You're so on old man!"

Kawaki's lips can't help but tilt upward at the interaction. He then focuses on the screen. He has a bet to win.

XOXOX

Hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for reading. Please consider leaving a comment. They make my life. Be safe guys. Until the next chapter… I promise we're getting to baby stuff.