Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I spy with my little tired eye

Tiny as a firefly

A pebble that we picked up last July

Down deep inside your pocket

We almost forgot it

Does it ever miss Wicklow sometimes?

Sasuke sat tensely in the hospital chair, her foot tapping anxiously as she awaited her name to be called. The prospect of spending her entire day at the hospital was vexing enough, but the real frustration stemmed from the tortuous wait for her exam results.

Adding to her woes, her laptop had given out three hours earlier, rendering her unable to complete any schoolwork. With two looming assignments due in a matter of days, the past four weeks had been a struggle to keep up.

Uncertain whether her emotions were due to her delayed menstruation, Sasuke found herself grappling with fluctuating moods, incessant cravings for junk food (a departure from her usual healthy habits), persistent fatigue and the mere thought of everyday tasks drained her of whatever drop of energy she could muster.

Grunting in frustration at the temperature and for having to be there, she tugged at the edges of her boyfriend's oversized jacket, grateful for Naruto's insistence that she wear it in the hospital's cold atmosphere.

Boredom consumed her as she longed for distraction.

At the thought, one of her cold hands reached for her phone nestled within the jacket's pocket, coming to a stop when the tips of her fingers came in contact with something colder than her skin, with fine grains of sand lining the pocket.

Retrieving her hand, she softened at the sight of a heart-shaped pebble resting at the center of her palm, her mind rapidly transporting her back to its origins.

Last July, Wicklow, Ireland.

Following Sasuke's completion of her finals and the chance to unwind, Naruto had surprised her with a trip to Ireland and it had been one of the most breathtaking places she had ever been in.

The memories of their time there still remained vivid in her mind— the early morning sun casting its golden light on the azure waters, while the majestic mountains attempted to obscure its brilliance. Throughout it all, Naruto stood by her side, a constant source of support during her toughest moments.

Luckily she had her own sun, right beside her at all times, guiding her through some of the hardest times of her life.

Their stay in Ireland had been brief, yet unforgettable. One of the most memorable moments was precisely related to how they had brought the tiny pebble, almost as tiny as a firefly, back home with them.

In that early morning haze, Naruto had roused her from sleep with an eagerness that bordered on exuberance, his excitement palpable as he proposed a hike through the rugged expanse of Spine Ridge. Reluctantly, had Sasuke acquiesced, little knowing that it would swiftly ascend the ranks of her top ten worst decisions.

As they trudged along the winding trail, Sasuke's mood darkened with each arduous step, her discontent manifesting in a barrage of insults hurled at Naruto in all the languages she knew. The six-mile journey seemed interminable, a relentless onslaught on her already weary body.

By the time they reached the end, Sasuke's spirit was as depleted as her energy reserves. Words escaped her, swallowed by the exhaustion that threatened to engulf her entire being. She berated herself for agreeing to the hike, knowing fully well she could barely walk from her college to the train station without feeling that she might die.

Soon though, she was forced to swallow her own words when the breathtaking view of Glendalough Valley overtook her eyes. Lost in the majesty of the landscape, she failed to notice Naruto's repeated attempts to regain her attention, his throaty clearings a faint echo in the symphony of nature that enveloped her senses.

As soon as her attention was back on her boyfriend though, her heart surged as if it might leap from her throat. The ring before her gleamed with an ethereal beauty and it was certainly the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen.

Alongside the ring, came the sappiest, most beautiful confession and the question she’d been waiting to hear from the other one for so long.

At that time, they had been heavily pining for each other. For years, their hearts beat in unison, silently echoing the sentiments they dared not voice aloud.

Neither of them was courageous enough to take it a step further.

It wasn't until the night marred by the echoes of a heated argument with her father that Sasuke sought refuge in the warmth of Naruto's arms. Right there and then, her walls had crumbled and her barriers dissolved, giving way to an intimacy and connection that transcended words or any other feelings she had ever experienced.

One tender moment cascaded into another and, suddenly, she was lying naked on Naruto’s bed with the blond between her legs.

Ever since that night, their connection had blossomed into something that couldn’t quite be put into words and they were completely unable to keep their hands off each other. Despite the intensity of their bond, they navigated the uncharted waters of their relationship without confining it to the confines of conventional labels.

Their friends would often tease them about how they acted like a couple even if they weren’t officially together. Their days were spent with each other, as well as most of their free time. When they weren’t sharing the same physical space, they were either FaceTiming or texting.

When they would go out clubbing, they were always seen together and their friends never ceased being amused at the undeniable chemistry that sizzled between them. Their eyes would roll in mock exasperation as they watched the duo lose themselves in each other's embrace on the dance floor or when they’d find a random corner to make out for the rest of the night.

Sasuke had always been acutely aware of the risks of involving herself in a relationship like that. However, she found herself unable to stop.

Reflecting on her past, she rejoiced in her decision, for fate had bestowed upon her a precious gift she never anticipated. Initially believing Naruto's feelings didn't mirror her own, viewing their connection as merely temporary, her perspective had shifted dramatically on that unforgettable day when he confessed his affection, catching her pleasantly off guard.

Recollections flooded her mind, vividly recalling the tears in her eyes, overwhelmed by emotion, rendering her speechless. Naturally, Naruto, being himself, inadvertently disrupted their tender moment, clumsily stumbling on something and inadvertently tripping and knocking his friend to the ground.

When they went to investigate what the blond had tripped on, all they had encountered was a simple heart-shaped pebble, identical to the one Sasuke held in her grasp at that very moment.

A faint chuckle escaped her lips as she reminisced about Naruto's playful attempt to offer it to her, declaring she was his heart. Curiously, it had found its way into the depths of his jacket pocket, almost forgotten by them both.

Briefly, she pondered whether the small pebble ever missed Wicklow like she did.

Before she could solidify her thoughts, the nurse's voice summoned her attention.

Chapter Text

On the way home

I wrote a poem

You say, "What a mind"

This happens all the time

'Cause they said the end is coming

Everyone's up to something

I find myself running home to your

Sweet nothings

“I would sell my soul for some homemade pizza,” Sasuke blurted out, scribbling on her notebook as Naruto drove them back home. Her chest felt heavy as she poured out her feelings onto the paper. 

The moment she had heard the news she swore her heart fluttered for a moment before reality slapped her right in the face with realization.

She would lose everything that was most dear to her.

“We can make some!” The blond suggested excitedly, lightly squeezing Sasuke’s thigh with the hand that had been resting there.

“No, we can’t.” The Uchiha retorted.

“Why not?”

“We don’t have yeast at home. I forgot to buy some.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem, the grocery shop is like five minutes away.”

“Nevermind.” She promptly dismissed. “We can eat something else.”

“Would you like to go out?” The blond suggested. “It’s been ages since I’ve taken you on a proper date. I feel like I’m slacking, I need to pamper you.” Naruto smiled brightly. At the beginning of their relationship, he would take Sasuke out everywhere but the times they went out nowadays had significantly decreased.

The raven wasn’t one to leave the house that many times unless it was something very necessary, often finding public spaces very overwhelming due to the noise and the number of people.

Naruto on the other hand was a social butterfly. He loved going out and being around people and surrounded by noise. 

That had been, of course, before he had started dating Sasuke, and she couldn’t help but assume that was partly her fault. Naruto would prioritize her and her needs before anyone else’s, including his own, often just ending up doing whatever she wanted.

Sasuke would often feel guilty for it, sometimes it felt like she was trapping him.

“Would you be mad If I said no?” Sasuke questioned, shame blooming within her chest. Naruto sounded so excited to take her out but the newfound information had completely drained any willpower she had to go out or do anything at all. "I'd rather just go home…if that’s okay."

“Are you sure?” Naruto inquired worriedly at her tone, blindly reaching for her hand to bring it close to his mouth where he deposited a chaste but assuring kiss.

“I mean- if you really want to, we can but can it be…a little later, please?” The raven gave his hand a light squeeze before letting go as Naruto’s hands found their place back on her thigh. “We can compromise, I don’t want to chain you to me or something.” Naruto frowned at the words, briefly glancing sideways only to find uneasiness all over his girlfriend’s features as she continued to write in the notebook she carried everywhere. 

“Baby.” His voice was smooth and calm as he stroked Sasuke’s equally smooth thigh with his palm. “Did something happen at the doctor's office?” 

Mouth agape ready to reply, she felt the words dying on her tongue. 

If fear wasn’t rapidly infiltrating her bloodstream, she would probably be eager to tell Naruto the news. But as she kept adding more cons to her pros and cons mental list, she became more and more aware that she wasn’t ready to tell him.

The timing wasn’t right

That wasn’t the plan

That was her fault

Naruto would leave her as soon as the words left her mouth

In almost record time she found herself spiraling with no chance of return. She loathed the feeling. The one where it felt like every emotion was just out of reach and slowly slipping away from her hands.

Naruto’s voice soon broke her out of her thoughts. “Whatever it is, it’s okay. We’ll go through it together, I promise”  His husky voice floated as he attempted to soothe her unspoken anxieties.

“I’m fine.” To anyone, the tone would have sounded firm and assuring but Naruto’s trained ears didn’t fail to catch the small, almost imperceptible crack in her voice. Naruto figured from past experience that he shouldn’t insist. Even if his heart ached to know what was going on and soothe the pain in her heart, he knew better. Even if he didn’t want to, he’d just have to wait for her to come to him.

Meanwhile, all he could do was be there for her. 

“What are you working on?” He asked, in an attempt to change the subject, looking at her again as he squeezed the supple flesh of her thigh before his eyes were back on the road.

“Poem.” Naruto’s eyes went wide for a second. 

It had been a while since Sasuke had last written anything and the blond had noticed as time passed that inspiration came to her best when something was bothering or stressing her. She appeared just fine when he had dropped her off at the hospital that morning and the sudden change of moods certainly confirmed his suspicions that something had happened at the doctor’s office.

“Really?” He chirped excitedly, a big grin painting his lips as he continued to drive, his hand still resting on Sasuke’s thigh. “Let me hear it!”

“It’s not finished.”

“Like I care!” Naruto snorted. He was absolutely in love with everything that came out of Sasuke and he was always eager to see and read everything she crafted, no matter how unfinished and rough it was. “Please let me hear it!”

Teeth nibbling along her bottom lip, she skimmed her dark eyes over the page once again. It wasn’t her best poem but it also wasn’t her worst. She sighed in defeat, Naruto had seen and heard way worse anyway .

“Never believed in magic,

yet you emerged out of thin air.

I thought I’d only be lonely in life

but now someone cares.

Until you stepped into my world,

there was nothing but bleakness and gloom.

It was missing the stars, the sun

and the moon.

I was lost and confused,

battered and bruised

drained and alone

when suddenly,

I found my way back home.

With the gloom of desolation covering my eyes

guiding my way through darkness,

my vision so blurred,

What if I don’t get it right?

Will you stay by my side?

Getting lost in my head

with the thought of you

It’s so hard to imagine an empty future

One with no you.

In your arms, I feel so secure,

you glow so vividly

your presence is so pure.

But I am still so blinded

by the fog of my hurt

I do not understand

why you want 

this bitter woman

not worthy of your love.

The days darkness holds me tight

and I fight shy of your touch

You still return to my side

But I still ask why?

My sun, my light

how can you not see

that I’m not good enough

not even for me.

You can find so much better,

if only you could see.

Why would you ever choose

Simple

Bitter

Broken

Me.”

“Wow!” Naruto beamed, his girlfriend’s words stealing all of his attention as he peeled his eyes away from the road to look at Sasuke with love-filled eyes. “What a fucking mind you have, Uchiha.” Compliments still didn’t come easy to the raven so she felt herself blushing profusely. She silently thanked that Naruto was driving and had to divert his gaze back to the road.

Sharing her poetry and writing had almost never been a problem with the exception of her dad and Naruto. Her dad would always criticize whatever she produced, it was never good enough for him, and he always had something negative to say about it. 

Nothing was ever good enough. 

She was never good enough.

But Naruto’s reaction was different, almost the complete opposite. 

Somehow that made her even more scared. Because she was scared she would disappoint him or not meet his expectations. But if she ever did, the blond had shown no signs of it. He would always see it in her, and by everything that was most sacred, she did want him to see the right things. She also wanted Naruto to know how she felt when her mouth couldn’t form the right words to communicate.

“You say that every time, Uzumaki.” Even if Naruto acted like that every time Sasuke shared something she made, she couldn’t stop the same reaction from happening.

"Read it again for me?" He chirped.

She wouldn’t have it any other way though.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•

As soon as they got home, Sasuke walked to their bedroom's adjacent bathroom to change her clothes, making quick work of removing them until she was only in her underwear.

Throwing her clothes inside the basket so they could be washed later, she grabbed her hairbrush to brush her long black strands and that was about the maximum self-care she was gonna give herself before going to bed to wallow in her misery.

Setting her hairbrush down, she leaned against the sink, placing both of her palms over it, one on each edge, using it as support to keep her body upright as her eyes shut close. Faulty attempts were made through deep breaths to calm the turmoil inside her.

She would have to take an attitude soon but she didn’t know what or how. She also had to tell Naruto, even if it meant losing what they had built. Even if it meant losing him.  

He had to know, it would just be selfish of her not to tell him. Chain him like that.

She would wait a few days though. Wait a few days before it all would be over.

Until then she just wanted to revel in the comfort her life with Naruto brought her, she wanted to be kissed and held. She wanted him to tell her it was all gonna be okay.

Following her thoughts, a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her middle as a heated mouth pressed feathery kisses up her neck, and along her jawline.

“Hey sexy.” Naruto looked at her through the mirror, feeling his blood rush south at the divine vision of her body, the same reaction he had every time he looked at her. Every time he would look at her, he would wonder how the hell had he ended up so goddamn lucky.

“Hn.” Sasuke bit back a moan when the light kisses became nips and sucks at her sensitive skin and soon her hand was on the back of Naruto’s head, pulling him closer.

Tanned hands roamed her slim body, along her curves until they stopped over her supple breasts, eliciting a breathless moan from his girlfriend when he gave them a hard squeeze. “Need help with this?” His skilled fingers trailed their way from her breasts to the underband of her bra, the unhurried pace of it all allowing his fingertips to get a feel of the soft lacy texture until they stopped at the hook behind her back.

Sasuke didn’t reply. Not with words. 

Instead, she clutched Naruto’s curls harder, evoking a lighthearted chuckle from the blond who made quick work of undoing her lacy bra and throwing it into the basket.

He ceased his ministrations for only a second to spin Sasuke around so she was facing him. Gently cradling her jaw, his fingers brushed her long jet-black locks behind her ear before he was capturing her soft lips in a slow, almost impossibly soft kiss that had Sasuke’s whole being melting into the other man.

Shortly, her arms were around his neck and the hand that had not been touching her face gave a hard knead on the firm flesh of her ass before working its way under the fabric of her lacy panties, calloused fingers brushing her soaked folds only to finally begin to give her throbbing clit the attention it craved. 

Her mind was left in a tempestuous rage as a result of the careful circles Naruto made on the sensitive bud and the only thing keeping her body upright were her arms that were safely secured around the blond’s neck. His expert fingers had no trouble slipping through her entrance, the arousal coating her folds giving him the ease he needed to tease her. His movements continued for a while, threatening to enter her, but never doing so, leaving her whole body shaking in need. 

When Naruto decided it was enough, he pulled his digits out, licking the sweet arousal off his fingers and kissing Sasuke’s lips, giving her a taste of herself before hoisting her under her thighs and walking to their bedroom, mouths never parting. 

Gently placing Sasuke on top of their bed, Naruto looked down at her beautiful naked body, a mixture of lust and clear adoration filling his cerulean depths. "God, you're fucking gorgeous." When he got on top of her he carefully leaned down to kiss her again, moving gently as if Sasuke was made of glass and he was trying not to break her. 

His tongue brushed over her bottom lip and she didn’t hesitate parting her lips to let him in, finding herself grinding against the blond’s body as she felt the tent in his pants poke her skin. The kiss deepened with each passing moment as both of them became more desperate, like they needed to feel each other more than anything, like they were each other’s oxygen.

Their tongues explored each other’s mouths before Naruto was breaking the kiss, moving his mouth away from Sasuke’s hungry swollen lips to her skin to lap at the sensitive flesh between nipping teeth and open-mouthed kisses from her neck to her shoulder. Dropping her head back onto the pillows, she allowed him more access to press firm kisses down the column of her slender throat, his lips leaving red marks all across the tender flesh, and collarbones until they reached the valley between her breasts.

His hands reached out to the top part of her body, his thick fingers following the curve of her breast before they were ghosting over her nipple. He smirked at how her body shuddered when he reached out to massage one of her boobs, his thumb brushing across one of her nipples, feeling it beginning to harden. 

Unable to resist anymore, the Uzumaki leaned to take a pink nipple into his mouth, sucking and rolling his tongue over the sensitive nub. “N-Naruto.” She whined, the feeling of those plush lips gently sucking on her sending the Uchiha into a euphoric state, particularly enhanced when the blond would graze his teeth over the sensitive flesh.

Soon, Sasuke’s delicate hands were buried in the blond thickness that were his curls as the other one continued to nip and suck at her sensitive bud, his firm hands holding her sides in place while his calloused thumbs circled soft circles into her hip bone. “Ah! More-" She felt the blond smirk against her skin before he was latching onto the neglected nipple, massaging the breast in his hand while rolling the other abused nub between his thumb and index fingers.

When he was done torturing her, he continued kissing down her body, paying special attention to her stomach, the gesture making Sasuke shiver, wondering if Naruto could feel it too. She wasn’t able to conclude her thought because, in the next minute, the blond was kneeling between her spread legs and pulling her lacy panties down the length of her limbs.

Guiding his lips to the inside of her knee, his hands kneaded her supple thighs and ran down the sides of each one of her calves making goosebumps erupt in her skin while his mouth was occupied with sucking love bites on the softer skin of her inner thighs. 

She wasn’t sure if it was her circumstantial neediness and sensitivity but it was becoming increasingly hard for her to hold back her moans with the other’s superficial touches. Usually, she’d be more embarrassed but fortunately, the touches and caresses were clouding her mind just enough for her to forget all about it.

Naruto hooked one of Sasuke’s smooth pale legs over his broad shoulder before his mouth was diving right into her dripping core, the flat of his skilled tongue hungrily lapping at her folds before the wet muscle was plunging into her entrance. He hummed as her sweet arousal flooded his senses, drowning him as he lost himself in her taste.

“Oh fuck- right there!” She whined, her hands immediately fisting the blankets underneath her as she began to grind against his mouth, desperate for more. “Fuckfuckfuck-” Sasuke bit her lip in a faulty attempt to suppress her loud moans, the grip she had on Naruto’s head growing stronger as he began to languidly lick over her clit.

As Sasuke continued to bless Naruto’s ears with the sweet melody that were her moans, loud and demanding more of his touch, he decided to comply with her wishes and pushed one finger inside her, feeling her clench around the intrusion as he moved it in and out in a steady rhythm, his mouth continuing to rub against the sensitive bundle of nerves.

He quickly added another finger, both digits curling and pumping inside her hot entrance, hitting that one spot that made her body squirm and jolt.

Sasuke pushed his head further into her pussy as the familiar coiling of her orgasm began to pool at her belly, the vibration of Naruto’s groans against her clit pushing her even closer to the edge. “Fuck, fuck, yes…” She cried as he began scissoring her open, allowing his wet tongue to slip inside more easily.

Naruto peeked at the beauty above him as he lapped at her arousal, pulling his fingers out to fuck her with his tongue. His hand that had been fingering her was now resting on her lower stomach, his thumb stretching to rub her clit as he dove into her core like a starved man, feeling her body shake upon his ministrations. “J-just like that…so fucking close.”

“Cum for me. Cum on my tongue, love.” He mumbled, tongue plunging inside her faster as his thumb matched the muscle’s pace.

“Ah, ha-nngh! N-Naruto!” She came with her juicy thighs clamped around her boyfriend’s head and her hand with a fistful of his soft curls, the feeling of release sending shivers through her spine.

Sasuke hadn’t even finished coming down from her high when Naruto’s muscular body was already towering over hers, his mouth littering her collarbone in kisses. Her hands reached to massage Naruto’s erection over the fabric of his jeans before she began to undo his pants, noticing he was fully hard at that point and a pang of guilt ran through her as she had seemed to forget him in the wake of her own climax.

She helped Naruto get rid of his pants and underwear and began sitting up on the edge of the bed, grabbing his cock to pump the thick shaft from base to tip before her thumb was rubbing over the dripping head as she brought it closer to her lips.

“Let me.” She breathed out when Naruto took hold of her wrist, stopping her.

“No.” He shook his head. “Today is about you, love,” Tucking a strand of her bangs behind her ear, he smiled fondly.

“But I want to make you feel good as well.”

He peeled her hand off of him holding it with tenderness as he made her lie down against the softness of their mattress once again. “Taking care of you makes me feel infinitely better.” He smooched the back of her hand before his lips were on hers again.

Tightening her legs around the blond’s waist, she pulled herself closer until the swollen head of his cock was practically kissing her entrance. “Please- inside me.” Sasuke couldn’t hold herself back so, using Naruto’s neck as leverage, she angled her hips so that his cock would rub against her gaping hole, threatening to slip inside while her natural slick allowed his shaft to tease her folds as she dragged her clit against his frenulum. “I need you inside me, Naruto.” She whined, arching her body against his, unable to bear another minute without feeling him inside her.

Naruto let out a light-hearted laugh at her neediness and he would have continued to tease her if he wasn’t so desperate to feel her too. Pressing a kiss to her temple, he obliged her request, positioning his cock at her throbbing entrance before slowly pushing his thick girth inside as if that was their first time, carefully drinking in how Sasuke’s expression went from desperate to one of pure bliss. He reached for Sasuke’s hand, lacing their fingers together before bringing their joined hands close to her head as his lips dragged themselves across her flushed face, giving her affectionate lazy kisses, a smile tugging at his lips when he heard her content sigh.

One of her pale hands came up to cup the blond’s scarred cheek, thumb fondly tracing over his scars, and next thing she knew, her lips were on his as Naruto began to move, deep and achingly slow, causing Sasuke to groan and sigh breathlessly into their kiss.

Sasuke wasn't one to ask for slow, tender lovemaking. She usually preferred the rough, animalistic one where Naruto became possessive of her and her body, the one where she felt the most wanted, even if it was just for her body.

She wasn’t one to ask but her heart would burst every time Naruto would initiate it and kept it like that. It made her feel more loved than anything, especially because Naruto made sure to convey all of his affection through his touch. All in a way that Sasuke’s mind couldn’t counter with illogical logic because she was feeling it.

The slowness of all of it was grounding her in reality, as if in a way to remind her that she was there with him, that it was all real and not the sweetest dream of her life.

It was really hard to believe that after all the hardships she had to overcome in her life, the cruel powers of the universe had managed to send her a human copy of the sun, the most beautiful star, the only one capable of filling her empty chest with a warmth she never thought she deserved.

At the loss of oxygen, Naruto abandoned her lips, now directing his attention to her skin when his mouth began nipping at her earlobe before it dropped to assault the crook of her neck with precise flickers of tongue that ran behind her ear as he began pulling out his cock, only to sink back in again, going deeper with each thrust.

Sometimes Sasuke found herself unsure of how to express her feelings for Naruto. She had never been that good at it from how repressed her emotions had been over the years but for the blond that wasn’t a problem at all. He would show it through actions, through words, but when their bodies became one, when he was deep inside her, how soft and sweet he was when making love to her showed Sasuke all that she needed to soothe her doubts. More than just show. She could feel it.

Sasuke let go of Naruto’s hands only to find purchase in his locks, stroking them languidly as the blond continued to thrust, leisurely and tortuously making her moan louder each time. Naruto’s hand shot out to her thigh to push it up until her leg was wrapped around his waist, this new position allowing him to go even deeper, the head of his cock brushing against the entrance of her cervix every time.

Like they had all the time in the world, Naruto rocked into her unhurriedly, letting the mind-blowing sliding and friction grow into a gentle rhythm. Breathlessly, she moaned against his ear as her smooth hands ran across his scarred back, digging her blunt nails into the rough skin to pull the strong body impossibly closer every time the other one would caress that special spot inside of her.

“I love you.” Naruto grunted and Sasuke responded by involuntarily clenching around him making her lover almost cum on the spot. He pulled back to look at his lover and their gazes met in between, Naruto’s filled with love and adoration while Sasuke’s reflected such a great amount of fear that made Naruto’s heart ache in his chest. “I love you, Sasuke,” Naruto whispered again against her lips before repeating the words over the skin of her neck. “I love you.” He whispered again, giving another deep trust. She could feel him so deep, filling every inch of her, her head clouded in a haze of pleasure every time the head of his cock pushed against that spongy spot that made her see stars. “More than anything.”

They wouldn’t be able to last like that, not forever, but Naruto did his best to keep his languid thrusts precise, making sure to worship as much of Sasuke’s body as he could reach in that position, showing her through his touch how much she was loved. 

"N-Naruto. More please." She begged and Naruto could never deny her anything. Every part of him made her want him more and more. Feel him so deep inside her, so close to him there was no telling where she began or ended.

He pressed a kiss to her temple before picking up the pace, now chasing their orgasms. His forehead dropped, now resting against hers, the way he gazed at her burned into her soul as he pounded into her, both of them getting lost in the feeling…the want for each other’s desire.

Sasuke was so slick with need, each time Naruto would sink into her core, more roughly and with no finesse whatsoever was audible, the sounds of his hips snapping against her soft skin ringing harshly across the bedroom.

“Fuck, Naruto. M’ so close!” She shouted, the sensation of her impending orgasm growing stronger as her legs began to shake around the blond’s body. Naruto knew her body like the back of his hand, and he was always more than determined to make his girlfriend finish before he did.

“Let go. Baby. For me- let go for me.” As the rhythm began to falter over the edge, Sasuke felt Naruto’s left hand abandon her breast and trail its way down her body until it reached her clit, an unmistakable plea for her to fall apart. She fluttered around her boyfriend’s cock as he fucked her into her rippling peak, almost sobbing from the bliss of it all.

A few more erratic thrusts and Naruto’s cock twitched violently inside Sasuke’s convulsing walls, spilling his warm seed deep inside her and eliciting a cry from his lover who cried at the sensation, tightening around him as she milked every last drop from him. Her trembling hands quickly found purchase on Naruto’s neck as she pulled him until their foreheads were pressing together, Naruto’s sperm spilled and pooled into her unprotected womb.

His hips continued to move gently, rocking slowly while he rode out the waves of his orgasm, eyes shut tight as he swallowed the stream of curses coming out of his lover’s mouth through sweet kisses.

Sasuke’s body went limp and the blond shifted their positions without pulling out, chuckling at the sharp breaths Sasuke took when his cock kept nudging the most sensitive spots inside of her. Naruto nosed her soft locks, gently breathing in her scent and humming happily, feeling so comfortable he could have easily fallen asleep right there and then. 

After a few minutes, when his high had come down considerably, he reluctantly pulled out, hearing his girlfriend whine at the oversensitivity. He helped her limp body turn around so she was facing him and, with his cheek resting on his palm, he gazed into the beautiful mess that was the woman in front of him.

His woman.

He admired how the pale cheeks were covered in a deep shade of pink, how her lips stayed parted as she attempted to get oxygen back into her lungs, and the mess that were the bangs over her eyes. 

Eventually, his hand had dropped to her soft cheek which he was lightly caressing with the pad of his thumb, staring intently at her with adoration flooding out of his eyes.

“What are you thinking about?” She polled in a low whisper as if she spoke even a little louder the comforting bubble surrounding them would disappear.

Naruto gave her one of those smiles that completely warmed her insides, brushing her bangs away from her beautiful face so that nothing would hinder the dazzling view of those onyx depths he would love to get lost in. “How lucky I am to have you.” Sasuke rolled her eyes, snuggling closer to the blond’s chest to hide her embarrassed features as she let herself sink into the warmth, placing her hand idly over his heart as if to confirm the veracity of his words. 

Exhaustion eventually began overtaking her body until she was finally asleep, the rhythm of her heartbeat matching the one under her palm.

Chapter Text

Outside, they're push and shoving

You're in the kitchen humming

All that you ever wanted from me was

Sweet nothing

Sasuke rose from her deep slumber, blindly patting the other side of the bed, searching for the warm body of her lover only to find it completely empty. She sat up on the bed, rubbing the heels of her hands over her eyes before she eventually got up.

Opening their closet, she reached for Naruto’s side and grabbed an oversized orange shirt, and quickly put it on to cover her nudity before walking to their living room to look for the blond. As she got closer, she could hear some noises coming from the kitchen so she assumed Naruto had been preparing something.

Standing in the middle of their living room, she confirmed her suspicions when she saw the blond seemingly kneading something on the counter, flour covering his hands and forearms, the dusty color of the flour contrasting with his beautiful sun-kissed skin tone, and Sasuke almost melted with the way the blond was humming to the soft tune of the song coming from the speaker. 

She couldn’t help the feeling of wanting to seek her boyfriend’s warmth, wishing she could sink into the peaceful feeling that radiated off his body and let it completely wash over her. Letting herself be held and not caring about anything else in the world.

Normally, by that time, Sasuke would have already greeted him but at that moment she let herself forget her habits in favor of leaning against the doorframe to observe him. She had always been an observer, and with Naruto, it was no exception. She loved watching him, especially when he wasn’t aware of it when he was able to be himself with zero filters, no self-consciousness, and no insecurities.

Those few quiet moments that belonged to him and only him. The blond loved showering Sasuke with love and affection and sometimes the raven felt like everything was about her. She would like to change that someday. She wanted to be able to make Naruto feel as special as he made her feel.

There was something about the other one that always made Sasuke feel warm,  not the kind caused by the simple flush of cheeks when he flirted with her but the kind of warmth that would heat her very bare cold existence.

Everything about him made Sasuke’s life easier.

Just by sharing the same space, her headache began to fade and her agitations would slip away from her like they never existed before. Just being near him was enough to make her feel better, no matter how horrible and miserable her day had been.

“Wherever you go, I won’t be far to follow.” The song chanted from the speaker as the blond continued to hum and it was such a peaceful domestic scene that Sasuke was scared if she moved, she would break the spell at work there. “ Oh~ I’m gonna love you so, you’ll learn what I already know~ ” He singsonged, turning around in his place to grab the tomato sauce he had left on the kitchen island. “ I love you means you're never, ever, ever getting rid of me~ ” Eventually, Naruto looked up and took notice of her presence, getting startled at the unexpected figure of his girlfriend standing at the entrance of their kitchen, half naked and littered with bruises and love bites. The blond quickly recovered though, his surprised expression melting away into one of pure happiness that made Sasuke’s heart tremble in her chest. “You know, I should start charging you.”

An elegant brow was raised. “Charging me? For what?”

“Staring,” Naruto replied with a smug smirk. “This perfect view doesn’t come for free, baby.” Sasuke laughed at the playful comment.

“Oh, it doesn’t? I’ll keep that in mind next time you want to cum for free.” Sasuke teased him back, loving the pout that formed on her boyfriend’s lips. “I’m hungry, is dinner gonna take much longer?” She questioned, opening the refrigerator to look for some frozen food that would be quick to prepare.

“Not much.” Naruto ran to the sink to rinse his hands under water before quickly patting them dry with a kitchen cloth.

“What are you cooking again?” Sasuke walked backward a few steps to look at Naruto who was walking towards her. His arms were quick to entangle around her small waist, pulling her body against his to smooch her lips.

“Pizza for dinner.” He smiled at her surprised reaction and the way her eyes had seemed to light up.

“How? I thought we didn’t have yeast.”

“And we didn’t.” He shrugged, “I ran to the store after you fell asleep.” Another wide smile broke across the blond’s face, so bright and soft as Sasuke’s gaze became at his words.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“Well, I wanted to.” Naruto uttered, dotting a kiss on her forehead and then on the tip of her nose causing Sasuke’s cheeks to flush in embarrassment but, unable to keep the genuine smile off her lips.

Even after all the time they had been together, Sasuke still marveled at how Naruto would always go out of his way to make her day better.

Not only at his ability but at the fact that he did so much for her.

And the weirdest part of it all, he never seemed bothered to do it. Much on the contrary. 

Two delicate hands came to cup the tanned scarred cheeks before a pair of soft lips were caressing them with a soft loving kiss. “Thank you.” Naruto looked at her as if she didn’t need to thank him for anything. As if she had done more than enough by simply existing alongside him.

“Anything for you.” Sasuke gave Naruto a slight smile and the blond mirrored it, just ten times larger before he pecked her forehead and lips. “I love this song.” Naruto chirped as one of his favorite songs began playing in the background. Suddenly, a brilliant idea to cheer up his girlfriend crossed his mind. 

Naruto smirked at the geniousness of his own idea, making Sasuke frown. Nothing good could come out of that smile. 

Her suspicions were confirmed when the grip around her waist became a little tighter and Naruto’s body began swaying, enticing hers to move with his to the soft rhythm of the song.

“Naruto.” She called out in a warning tone.

“Sasuke.” He retorted before pulling her away from the fridge by her waist.

“What are you- the fridge you idiot!” She scolded as Naruto pulled her away from the fridge that had been left with its door open but the blond paid no mind to it.

“Dance with me.”

“Naruto, this is not the right time for dancing.”

The blond shrugged. “Why not?”

“Because I’m starving and I want to eat.” She squirmed under his hold, trying to escape.

Naruto pouted. “You never want to dance with me.”

“That’s not true.”

“When did you ever dance with me?” Blue eyes squinted and Sasuke cursed herself. That was a fight she couldn’t win.

“Fine.” She huffed, falling into Naruto’s strong arms, cheek on the blond’s chest as the dim light of the refrigerator illuminated her delicate features. Naruto’s palm found its place on the small of her back while his other locked with hers between their chests.

He let his chin rest on the crown of her head when the raven settled closer to his warm body and neither of them spoke for a while, the light caresses and affection they felt for each other speaking volumes. 

When the melody of the piano began to grow louder, Naruto lifted their intertwined hands above their heads to twirl Sasuke around, following the piercing rhythm of the song. She let out a surprised squeal that melted into a laugh, breaking the silence between them. 

“You’re beautiful, you know that?” Naruto murmured once she came spinning back to him. “The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” Sasuke’s gaze fell down to hide the flush in her cheeks. If it were any other person complimenting her, she’d be completely unfazed but Naruto was different.

With him everything was different.

When her eyes were back up, she noticed a familiar mischievous twinkle in his eyes, and when her eyes went wide and she shouted Naruto’s name as a warning, it was already too late. In the blink of an eye, 

Naruto had his tanned arm around Sasuke’s slim waist and was dipping her down until her long silky hair was brushing against the wooden floor. Snickers escaped the blond’s lips as Sasuke clung to him for dear life and, of course, he couldn’t waste a perfectly good opportunity to kiss his beautiful girlfriend. 

He brushed his lips against hers in a faulty attempt to give her a kiss but he and Sasuke kept laughing breathly against each other’s lips, making it impossible to do anything. Naruto smiled, pulling her back up before he was spinning her around once again until she was dizzy and falling against his chest, sweet genuine sounds spilling from her lips as the blond kept her upright, preventing her from falling while swaying their bodies back and forth. 

Eventually, their eyes met with mutual passion and Sasuke decided to take the initiative and shift her weight onto her tiptoes, bringing her hand to Naruto’s scarred cheek and closing the gap between their lips.

Their movements slowed until the swaying eventually came to a stop so they could get closer to each other and for a moment, it seemed as if all sense of time had faded into nothingness, like nothing else mattered in the world except for the fact that Naruto was kissing Sasuke's delicate lips. Her brain had become foggy and her body felt like it was almost dissolving into the other man's hands.

They stayed wrapped up in one another, Sasuke’s face against his chest as the blond peppered kisses along her unblemished jaw and across her flushed face, from her forehead to her nose and to her lips while delicate fingers traced the strong clothed chest over his t-shirt as the reality of what had happened earlier came crashing down again. 

“Hey, what’s going on inside that pretty little head of yours?” Naruto hadn’t even been looking at her but it was like he always managed to see right into her heart, like he could feel her uneasiness just by the touch of his hands.

It should feel scary for her. Having someone who knew her inside out, her passions, her fears, and anxieties, how every slight movement in her body reflected something she couldn’t put into words. 

It should feel scary but it didn’t. Maybe because Naruto had never used that against her, but if anything, it felt comforting. A warm soothing feeling she wanted to sink into.

She sighed audibly, holding onto the blond a little tighter and burying her face even closer to his chest, breathing in his familiar scent. She could feel it washing over her exhausted mind and heart, having its usual calming effect on her.

When the doctor talked to her about it, her body completely froze, picturing Naruto’s reaction in her head. She was terrified Naruto would leave her, terrified he would resent her, terrified he wouldn’t love her anymore.

But despite her fears, she had to tell Naruto. She couldn’t lie or hide things from him. It was unfair.

If things ended up right there, at least she had gotten the chance to meet him and have him in her life for a while, right?

Sasuke had tears in her eyes when she looked at Naruto again. 

No human being had ever stood so close to her soul as he had. Nobody had truly seen her for who she was, never ever truly loved her or appreciated her. Yet Naruto had and was doing it, all of it, and there were no amount of words that could adequately express how happy she was that he was always by her side. That he chose her. Even if she couldn’t understand why her out of all people.

But words had never really been necessary between them because Sasuke could feel it. She could feel Naruto’s love and affection through his touch, through his words, through his eyes- he always transmitted her with an almost overwhelming feeling of love, the kind that bound souls together for eternity and left her wondering how could she ever live without that person in her life.

And now she was about to lose him.

Naruto searched her face with intent, something far more complex than simple agony and fear burning inside them. "Sasuke, is everything okay?" He brought his hand to brush her bangs away from her face, safely tucking them away behind her ear. "You're really scaring me, baby."

The raven gnawed on the inside of her bottom lip, wondering what to even start with and she felt like the biggest coward for not being able to just say it. “Remember what you told me?” She eventually managed, biting the inside of her cheek until she could feel blood coating her tongue, in an attempt to ground herself and hold back the unshed tears. “The day you asked me to be your girlfriend.”

“I said a lot of things, baby.” Naruto replied, his heart warming at the memory of their vacation. He meant everything he said that day but it seemed like Sasuke was referring to something specific.

“I’ll love you till my lungs give out. ”

Naruto hummed in acknowledgment, smooching Sasuke’s cheek. “Of course I meant it. Why do you ask?”

“Has it changed?” Sasuke’s heart raced at the question. Even if Naruto told her something similar every day, she couldn’t help to think someday he’d change his mind. The thought terrified her. Maybe if the predicament hadn’t happened they could’ve lasted longer, but after what she was about to tell him, it was definitely over for them. She was just hoping he wouldn't hate her because she wasn’t sure she’d be able to bear living with that knowledge.

“Of course not! It hasn’t and it will never change.” Naruto affirmed, so confidently that it made Sasuke’s heart tremble. It trembled at the resolve in his words, like it was a known incontestable scientific proven fact.

Her heart settled a little upon the words, granting her a minute amount of courage to start what she had to say.

"I- you know I missed my period." Sasuke began.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry about it, love, I know that can really mess with your body." The Uzumaki didn’t know that much about periods other than they were hell on earth for his girlfriend. She’d usually get horrible migraines and even more horrible cramps. 

Naruto tried to hold her cheek in his hand but Sasuke slapped his hand away, causing Naruto to let go completely of the hold he had on her. “Sas?” He called out gently, her attitude and lack of explanation not contributing to ease his preoccupations.

"I'm sorry, please- don't be mad."

Naruto frowned quizzically, tilting his head as he felt his heart almost drop in his chest from the whole interaction. "Mad?! I could never be mad at you." She was the one that had to deal with the pain of never-ending headaches and cramps, why would he be mad at that? Naruto liked to think he did a fairly decent job at being a supportive boyfriend during that time of the month, he would heat Sasuke’s cramping pads, bring snacks, massage, and kiss her stomach. Sometimes he felt guilty that he couldn’t do more so he put extra effort into everything he did. "Why would I be mad?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat and Naruto could see her dark onyx eyes glistening with unshed tears."I-I'm almost four weeks late."

"What are you trying to tell me?"

The concern in Naruto’s voice almost made her back out again. Quickly, she fought with herself and against her doubts and blurted out before she could lose her courage again.

After all, she wasn’t sure there would be a “perfect” time to tell him.

Her gaze fell to the floor as she prepared, not wanting to see Naruto’s face of disgust or disappointment. That would just be too much for her to bear so she would just save herself the extra humiliation.

“I’m pregnant.”

Chapter Text

Industry disrupters and soul deconstructors

And smooth-talking hucksters

Out glad-handing each other

And the voices that implore

"You should be doing more"

To you I can admit

That I'm just too soft for all of it

“I’m pregnant.” She spat out, her heart racing in her chest as she waited for an answer, a reaction, anything. 

Naruto hadn’t spoken, or moved, and for all she knew he could have vanished right there and then since she also couldn’t hear him breathe. That was certainly a very out-of-character reaction coming from him. He was usually very expressive and rarely had any filters so when something would happen, Sasuke could have immediate access to what he was feeling.

Unable to stand the silence and anticipation anymore, she decided to look back up at him.

She almost instantly regretted it. 

Naruto’s eyes were wide open and for the first time, she couldn’t decipher what was going on behind those infinite blue depths of his. Was it just shock? Pain? Horror? Or perhaps disgust? She wasn’t sure but he stared back at her in such disbelief she couldn’t help but feel like she had betrayed him somehow.

That hadn’t been the response she wanted. In fact, that one was amongst the very long list of ones she feared receiving the most.

“Naruto, I-” She attempted to fumble out an explanation but midway decided she didn’t want to stay to watch Naruto’s reaction when the shock wore out.

She wasn’t sure what to do but there was only one thing she was sure about. 

She couldn’t just stay there and wait. 

Tears finally streaming down her cheeks, she ran to the bathroom as the blatant rejection bitterly sank into her. Naruto’s voice echoed through the hallway behind her but she completely ignored it, not wanting to hear him saying he resented her, not wanting to watch those beautiful eyes she loved so much contorting in disgust for her.

For all she knew, Naruto didn’t want the baby. He no longer wanted her.

The moment she stepped foot in the bathroom, she crumbled, shutting the door behind her, making sure to lock it so no one could come in. With her back pressing firmly against the door, she slowly sank into the cold bathroom floor, bringing her knees to her chest, letting her cheek rest on top of them as she continued sobbing.

Sasuke regretted telling him. She should have waited as she had initially planned, prepared for the stab, and not dived right in when she felt so vulnerable and unable to deal with anything. The moment she had uttered the news to the other one, she knew had fucked up and Naruto’s look of betrayal clearly hadn’t helped. But she couldn’t take it back, no matter how hard she wished for it. 

Letting out another sob, she hid herself deeper in her knees and tried her best to remain quiet, not wanting Naruto to hear her breaking down and coming in to comfort her, especially when she knew it would be coming out of a place of pity. She didn’t deserve comfort either way, she didn’t deserve anyone to feel bad for her when that was so clearly her fault.

She knew what she deserved.

She didn’t know how much time she spent there crying but it only got worse when she heard Naruto knock on the door and call her name. All of a sudden it felt like all the oxygen had been robbed out of her and she couldn’t breathe. “Sasuke, I know you’re there. Please open the door.”

“Go away!” The Uchiha tried her best to sound harsh and push the other one away but her body betrayed her once again and her voice came out weak and almost as broken as her heart.

“How can I go away when you’re over there hurting?”  Sasuke heard a heavy sigh coming from the other side but didn’t budge. “Please.” He pleaded once more, obtaining no response. Naruto knocked a few more times in failed attempts to have Sasuke unlock the door and let him in.

For brief moments he wondered if he should break the door open but quickly discarded the idea, ultimately deciding upon giving her some space and time to think as he sat on the floor outside the bathroom, his back resting against the door. “Just so you know, I’m right here outside the door for when you feel like talking. I’m not going anywhere.” He uttered, loud enough for her to hear it.

Naruto sat outside their bathroom for what felt like days but in reality, only two hours had passed, and that had been enough time for his shocked brain to begin processing all of the information. The anticipation was driving him crazy as he picked on nails in an attempt to contain his excitement, after all, he wasn’t sure if Sasuke would want to keep the baby given their circumstances.

Their situation wasn’t ideal so it wasn’t like he could really predict what she would choose. They were barely twenty, hadn’t finished college, and were mostly supported by their families even though they worked part-time to help pay for the bills. 

He could affirm confidently that his parents would be on board to help them with whatever they needed. He was lucky enough to say he grew up in a very healthy loving household with very supportive parents, they loved him to death and they loved Sasuke too. So much, the Uzumaki would often joke that his parents loved Sasuke more than they loved him.

The problem really was Sasuke’s family.

The blond was sure if she were to keep the baby she would be cut off and disowned faster than her father was at listing everything she was doing wrong in life. It was a big step for her and a great risk and loss if she were to keep their baby because even though her family was horrible to her, they were still her family and despite everything, she still loved them dearly.

If she were to be cut off, Naruto wouldn’t mind taking another job or more shifts to help support their family and his parents most likely wouldn’t mind helping out as well. But whatever next step he was gonna take was solely based on Sasuke’s final decision and he’d have to wait for that one.

But no matter what she ended up deciding, there was one thing he knew for sure. He’d back her up and stay by her side no matter what.

“Sasuke, baby… I just want to talk, please. Please just let me in, I need to know you’re okay.” Naruto said softly, knocking twice on the door again to remind Sasuke he was still there for her. It was the first time either of them had said anything in over two hours and the blond hoped his girlfriend would feel calmer so they could talk. 

Deciding she couldn’t postpone it for much longer, the raven raised her hand above her head, blindly unlocking the door before she was crawling away from it in favor of sitting against the bottom cabinets under their sink. At the sound of the unlocking door, the blond rapidly rose to his feet, hesitating a bit before turning the doorknob. He slowly pushed the door open, in a careful manner in case Sasuke had been sitting close to it.

Once inside, he sighed in relief at seeing his girlfriend and made quick work to close the door behind him.

He crouched down to her level where she was sitting with her knees to her chest and face resting on top of her knees, her nails digging harshly into the skin of her legs and his heart trembled at seeing her like that, feeling so helpless watching her struggle on her own. 

She didn’t appear to be crying but the blond could still notice the light shaking of her body, only confirmed when he gently put a hand over her knee feeling it shake for a few seconds before subsiding significantly beneath his touch. Unable to spend one more second without holding her, his muscular arms wrapped her lean body in a tight hug as his hands gently petted her back in a silent attempt to comfort her. 

He wasn’t sure how long they remained like that but when Naruto felt like the shaking had calmed, he kissed the crown of her head before reluctantly pulling away from the embrace. “Hey, can you look at me, love?” He asked softly. “Please?” He asked again, this time setting his warm palm on her knee, letting his thumb circle the skin in there.

There was a wave of silence where Sasuke hesitated, fighting an internal war with herself. 

Naruto massaged from her knee to her outer thigh, patiently waiting for his girlfriend to look at him again. She didn’t want him to see her in that miserable state but against her better judgment, she ended up looking up at him.

She knew she looked awful. Her pale skin was irritated, there were tear streaks covering her cheeks, and her red puffy eyes were clearly visible in contrast with her alabaster skin tone. But Naruto didn’t seem to care about that, not in the slightest. 

He still looked at her like she was the most beautiful thing that had ever walked on earth, like she was the only star in the sky, like she had been responsible for hanging the moon, sun, and stars in the sky.

Eyes squeezing tightly together, she shook her head. It wasn’t adding up. His previous reaction, her thoughts, and the loving gaze he was sporting were sending completely opposite signals in her brain and she was too exhausted to even try to puzzle it all together. 

Letting out a sigh, Naruto took a seat on the cold bathroom floor as well, letting his strong back fall back onto the bathtub side that was perpendicularly placed to the sink. That way he could sit almost next to her and still manage to see her face. Taking her hand in his, he brought them to his lap, letting them rest on his thigh.

“When did you find-?” He questioned after a while.

She interrupted. “Today…right before you picked me up from the hospital.” She gave his hand a light squeeze, fearing his reaction. “I wanted to tell you sooner…but I needed to process it first. I just didn’t know how…”

The blond gave her a silent nod, glad she hadn’t been hiding it for long. “Have you…” He swallowed the lump in his throat and closed his eyes, quietly voicing his current biggest fear as he attempted to control the shaking in his hand. He was supposed to be calming Sasuke and not making her more nervous with his own feelings. “Have you decided what you want to do about it?”

Every second that passed without an answer was like a needle piercing right through his heart.

“I can’t…” She shook her head. “I can’t not keep it.” Naruto’s heart sank in the first half only to be brought up again by the hope of her words. 

She heard a shaky breath coming out of Naruto and when she ducked her head to look at him, desperate to know what he was thinking, her eyes found his with a never seen before fondness filling them to the brim.

“Can I?” She reluctantly nodded, knowing exactly what he was referring to. 

Naruto carefully let go of Sasuke’s hand in favor of lifting her shirt to expose her pale stomach. 

The raven was still pretty early so there wasn’t a bump yet, though now that Naruto had been thinking a little back on the previous weeks, his girlfriend had been gaining a little weight. Her thighs were a little bigger, barely noticeable if he wasn’t so used to touching them, her ass had certainly grown and her breasts looked plumper.

Her appetite had also increased significantly which should have been one of Naruto’s first signs since the other one wasn’t one to eat a lot and he was the one who had to beg and insist that she ate more.

He tried not to beat himself too hard for not having noticed the signs as he carefully drew his hands closer until they were resting on her stomach and it seemed almost impossible that she could be pregnant when hours before the thought would have never occurred to him.

Naruto slowly rubbed his palms over her stomach, a feeling of giddiness filling his chest.

Their baby was growing in there.

As his palms explored more of her abdomen, Naruto began to make out a slight hint of a definition. Her stomach felt a little firmer below the navel and as the realization that the product of their love was inside her and that he was going to be a father began sinking in, his eyes let the tears that had been welling up in there fall freely.

Sasuke bit the inside of her cheek until she felt the coppery taste on her tongue. She had been watching Naruto’s reaction and when she felt warm tears land on the smooth skin of her stomach, her chest filled with dread at her next words, her mouth suddenly becoming very dry. “Before you say anything, I just want to say that I know we haven’t been together for that long and that I don’t blame you for any of this…in fact, this is all my fault, I should have known better.”

Naruto’s features contorted as his rough palm came to wipe away his tears. “Sasuke what are-”

“Let me finish.” She said in a firm tone, or as firm as she could manage, striving to fight the tears that were trying to escape her eyes again. “You can keep the apartment, I’ll move out. I think my father might disown me but I have savings so I’ll manage just fine on my own.” She swallowed dryly. She’d have to hide the pregnancy for as long as she could before her father could cut her off, and hopefully, with that money, her savings and the salary from her current job would be enough to keep her relatively stable to raise her kid. “You don’t have to be present or have any responsibility over this child. You can visit whenever, if you even want to keep in touch at all that is-”

Blue eyes grew wide in disbelief. “Shut up!” Naruto’s heart clenched at the words and he couldn’t keep hearing Sasuke say those things. Did she really think that low of him? “Don’t you even dare finish what you were about to say.” The audible irritation and frustration in his voice were so evident, it sent shivers through her spine. “What makes you think I wouldn’t want to help raise my child? What you’re saying is ridiculous and honestly, it hurts that you would think I could do something like that.” Naruto hissed, hurt at her words. 

The Uzumaki was a very expressive person and when she saw hurt behind those beautiful blue eyes she loved so much, she could only feel pain in her heart for having hurt the other one with her words. 

“We are young and you still have so much to live, so many opportunities and- I wouldn’t- I wouldn’t forgive myself if you were to miss the best years of your life for… me.” Her voice cracked, new tears shedding down and covering her cheeks anew as her body began shaking again. Naruto immediately reached for her, pulling her body against his in another attempt to comfort her. “I’m…I…Naruto- I’m so s-sorry… I didn’t mean for this to happen.” She buried her face in his chest, fisting his shirt as she soaked the thin fabric with salty tears. 

“Shhh.” His hand ran soothingly over her long hair. “This isn’t your fault, so stop blaming yourself, okay?” He assured in a soothing tone, hugging her tighter, wanting to squeeze the pain out of her body. “It takes two to make a baby, you have nothing to blame yourself for.” He asserted with a kiss on her temple.

“Are you mad at me?”

“No!” Naruto replied instantly. “No, of course not! I’m just…surprised, that's all.”

“Disappointed?” She tried again, hoping that Naruto would just break her heart once and for all and stopped making her wait. 

“No no. Don’t worry about it, it’s fine. I’m just surprised, I promise.”

“I’m scared.” The sound came out muffled, imperceptible to Naruto’s ears in the midst of the sniffling and heavy breathing.

His hand continued to pet her hair. “What did you say?” 

“I’m scared, Naruto.” She confessed again, this time a little louder. “I’m so scared.” Naruto bit his lip, a pang of sorrow striking his heart as his features softened impossibly. 

“What are you scared of, love?” He had a vague idea but he always preferred to encourage his girlfriend to talk more freely about how she felt rather than him trying to guess everything all the time.

“Everything…” She replied with a shaky breath and the blond waited for her to elaborate. “How are we gonna survive like this? How am I gonna finish college? My dad- he’ll hate me…he’ll hate me even more…” Naruto listened attentively, carefully wiping tears away from her face.

“We’re both working, baby, we have savings, and I’m sure my parents wouldn’t mind helping us at all! If necessary I’ll take more shifts or get another job.” He stated with confidence. “If you feel like you can’t do college and baby at the same time, you can always take a break and resume it later on. College will still be there whenever you’re ready to come back, I promise. You can take time off and do whatever you want, it doesn’t matter what anyone else wants from you, you gotta put yourself first.”

“And you?”

“What about me?” He asked back, knitting his brows in confusion.

“What do you want from me?” The raven reiterated, looking up at him.

Naruto stared down at his girlfriend, confusion still painting his features. “I don’t- what do you mean?”

She pulled away from Naruto’s hug, going back to her previous sitting position. “What are you hoping to get out of this?” She sniffled, not daring to meet his piercing gaze on her. “By being in a relationship with me, what are you trying to gain? What is it that you want from me that makes you want to stay?”

The blond took a deep breath, not taking more than a few seconds to reply. “Nothing.” He answered simply.

“Nothing?”

“Nothing. Just you, that’s all I need.” He affirmed again with conviction.

“Why?” Her depths glanced at him for only a moment. “Why me? You’re everything any woman could possibly wish for, and more . You’re everything and I’m not, I want to give you everything I possibly can… but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to.”

“What can’t you give me, Sasuke?! The only thing I want from you is your presence, you don’t need or have to give me anything. I love you no matter what. I always will, I don’t need anything from you to make me stay.”

“Are you seriously telling me you’d rather spend the rest of your days with me when you could be out there living your best life with someone else?” Sasuke spat, her voice venomous when referring to herself.

Naruto laughed. “What makes you think that’s not what I want?” 

“Because you didn’t sign up for any of this! We haven’t been together for that long and we’re gonna have a child, you’re gonna have to deal with all the morning sickness, doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, changing diapers.” The Uzumaki knew she had a point. They were really not in the best of circumstances and the timing wasn’t ideal. It surely was a lot to put into a relationship but Naruto also wasn’t one to give up. Especially not on the love of his life.

“So be it! I’ll hold your hair back every morning when you need to puke, I’ll be there holding your hand for every appointment and ultrasound, I’ll be there next to you when you give birth and when we hold our baby in our arms. Just because you feel like it's a lot to put in a relationship, and don’t get me wrong, I know it is, it doesn’t mean we can’t do it."

"That just sounds like way too much pressure to put on you because I really don’t want you to start something you can’t finish just because you have feelings for me now .”

“My feelings for you will never change.”

“And how the fuck do you know that?” The blond was taken aback by the aggressive tone in her voice.

“You know what, Sasuke? It’s not fair that you put this all on me. I know myself well enough to know I’ll keep my word. And you, as someone who knows me better than anyone in this world, should know that.” He bit back, letting his emotions get the best of him. “I think deep down, you’re just trying to make up excuses because you don’t want to be with me. If that’s the case, just tell me because, honestly, hearing you assume all these things about me, it’s really fucking hurting.” Naruto bit the inside of his cheek forcefully, doing his best to keep his tears from falling.

It took a while for Sasuke to say anything but eventually, her head shot up to look at him, eyes broken into a million pieces.“What if you leave?” The way she uttered the question, the utter fear in her voice, completely broke Naruto’s heart. “I know I’m gonna lose my family…I guess I lost them a long time ago but you-” He saw her hand close into a fist. “I don’t want to- I can’t lose you…” You’re all I have left.

“I promise you won’t, I would never- listen.” He began, trying his best to keep calm even if the overwhelming feelings were getting to him. “I know we’ve never full-on discussed children but we did talk about building our little family one day, whether it would be with a cat, a dog, or a child.  It's way sooner than we had planned? Yes. Will we have more responsibilities than most people our age? Hell yes. Will it be hard? Yes, but we'll go through it, we’ll be together the entire time and we’ll figure something out. Okay? This doesn’t change anything between us.”

“This changes everything.” She countered. “This-this wasn’t the plan.” 

“I know, but what a miracle it is. ” Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke again, pulling her against him, trying to think about the right thing to say. He wasn’t sure why the feelings of inadequacy were hitting her harder but he wanted them to go away as soon as possible. “I’ve said it many times before, and I’ll keep saying it as many times as you need me to if that’s what it takes to make these feelings of inadequacy disappear. I promise I’ll never tire of it. Never underestimate how much you mean to me. I love you.”

He gave her a soft smile, one of those special ones that held a thousand promises and Sasuke completely melted inside. “There’s nothing I’d rather do than spend the rest of my days with you.” He let out a small chuckle, bringing his palm to Sasuke’s stomach. “Both of you.” 

Sasuke knew Naruto was telling the truth, she could hear it in his words- but how long could that really last? How much time did she have with Naruto until he grew tired of her? Of their life together? How long until Naruto realized she was chaining him to her and her messy problems? For how long would she be enough?

In her view, she had nothing to offer him. Nothing any other woman couldn’t give him.

The raven cast her look downwards once again. “What if you later realize I’m chaining you?”

“Chaining me?!” Naruto’s eyes widened. Sometimes the things that came out of Sasuke’s mouth surprised him so much he didn’t even know how to respond. 

“Yes, chaining you. These are supposed to be the best years of our lives, years you’ll never be able to get back! You should be out there having fun, not being a parent. I-”

“Sasuke I love you!” He interrupted her, holding her hand firmly in his to make her listen and look up at him. “When you love someone you want to protect them, stay close to them, by their side. It’s the most natural thing in the world.”

Love.

“I choose to be here because I love you, Sasuke. You could never chain me because I’m here willingly.” Sasuke looked up at him and her heart tightened as her eyes screwed shut, more tears streaming down her pretty eyes when Naruto’s warm calloused hand came to touch her face, brushing the tears away with the pad of his thumb. 

The gesture made the raven crack her eyes open to look at him. “You know, Naruto…I don’t get it. What do you even see in me? You’re everything any woman could wish for, and more. You can have anyone you want… The fact that I have emotional baggage to the roof doesn’t make it any easier. You deserve someone who isn’t covered with emotional scars and deeply soaked with trauma.”

“It’s not like I can choose, Sasuke. I love you, my heart wants you. And even if I could choose, it would still be you. It’ll always be you.” Naruto captured his bottom lip between his teeth, a looming feeling squeezing every inch and centimeter of his heart.

“Why? Why me? What is it that makes you love me?” 

It was a genuine question. Analyzing the situation from an objective point of view, Sasuke had never done much for the other one to begin with. So why?

“Answer me.” Her voice was overflowing with pain when Naruto’s hand came up to cup her cheek. She grabbed it forcefully, pushing it down before it could reach her. “You can’t, can you? If you really think about it, there’s not a single reason for you to love me.” Upon the silence that settled in the bathroom, Sasuke’s eyes inevitably fell down, the lack of response confirming all her fears. “I shouldn’t ha-”

“You.” Sasuke pursed her lips, confused. “My answer is you, Sasuke. You’re what makes me love you.” Sasuke’s gaze shifted to the side, her eyes wanting to take a peek at Naruto’s expression as her mouth twitched to fight back. “God baby, I just wish…I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. I wish you’d just let me love you! The way you deserve. You should be adored for fuck sake. I don’t want you sitting here thinking you’re this unlovable person that- fuck Sasuke I love you so much it fucking hurts. So much, please never doubt that.” 

Naruto held her hands protectively waiting for her to say something and when her eyes were back on his, he could still see some doubt behind them. “And whatever you’re going to argue with now, I promise it’s not like that. I love you and I’m not going anywhere, plain and simple, okay?” The Uzumaki repeated to get his point across and Sasuke just nodded, feeling the river of insecurities in her mind run dry. She had no more words, nothing left to flow out of her mouth.

Naruto’s hand came to cup Sasuke’s cheek again, this time with no resistance to brush the unwanted tears off. “Love is a big word, and I wouldn’t say it unless I really meant it. And I do. With all my heart. What I want is for you to allow me to be in your life. To be someone you can turn to, for better or for worse. I want to be the one you come to when you’re sad. I want to be your safe place, someone you can trust to listen to you. The only thing I can truly tell you is that I would fucking hate to see you find someone else who would fill this place.”

Sasuke couldn’t understand. She couldn’t understand how Naruto was able to be so loving all the damn fucking time. To pour out all of his love to her. To love her freely, to do everything for her, and never ask for anything in return.

Never once had he asked for anything in return. Not in their relationship or in any other mundane tasks. He never asked for anything in return as if he couldn’t help loving her. As if she was the person he could never bear to leave. As if all he could ever need was her love, the one she kept hidden deep inside her but she couldn’t help giving it out to him. As if all he could ever need was her.

“You know, if a few years ago you had told me that right now, I’d be sitting down on the bathroom floor holding the girl of my dreams crying because we’re gonna have a baby, I would have called you crazy.” He smiled down at her. “You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me, so if you’re telling me we’re getting an addition to the two of us, how can that be anything but good?”

“Are you sure about that?” She sniffled, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. “You can still get out.”

“I’m positive.” Warm lips descended to settle upon her temple for a chaste kiss. “Anything that comes out of us, more specifically from you is without a doubt a gift.”

As she observed how those beautiful crystal depths gazed into hers, Sasuke felt like she’d never stood on more solid and safe ground. She knew Naruto’s heart and he knew hers, and they both accepted and loved each other because of it. 

Never in her life had she thought she’d find someone like him, someone so eager to stand next to her and fight every single possible hurdle that might come their way. Seeing each other on the same level, no matter what each one brought to the table. Feel like you could speak endlessly but also go about in complete and utter silence. The feeling of knowing you could depend on another person without being scared of being overbearing or unreasonable. Validate and be validated.

In all her existence she had never experienced such a thing. Had never felt such dependable trust from another human being.

“I love you.” 

“I love you more.” Naruto smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead before she allowed her body to curl into a ball as she snuggled impossibly closer to the other’s body, the softness and safety radiating off of it washing over her until she could believe she was in fact loved, at that precise moment and all the moments between them to come. 

The stressful day had completely sucked the life out of her, draining every bit of energy she had in her body but as she stood between Naruto’s arms, feeling his chest rising and falling against her own, suddenly it didn’t all seem so bad.

It was calm.

It was home and there was nowhere else in the world she’d rather be.

A life and love that asked for nothing, and for that, she’d gladly give everything.