"Mm. Warm..." That was all he could feel right now. All of the pain he was in before no longer existed, as he found himself hugging the closest thing to him more towards his body. It was like he never got into that accident, and broke a few bones. You would never be able to tell by the way Naruto was clinging onto his mate. Being in such a comfortable position, he almost never wanted to wake up and move from this spot. Unfortunately things just don't work that way. As his bright blue eyes opened slightly, the first thing he saw was something black. As his vision slowly adjusted to his surroundings, that is when he realized what it was. No wonder he was roasting! Not that he minded, because before he was freezing his ass off. At least he didn't get frostbite on any of his fingers, or face for that matter. That would have been horrible.

At the time he was only worried about one, or rather two people, so he didn't think to bundle up before heading outside into the winter cold. Now that his beloved Sasuke was here and in his arms, he never wanted to let go. Leaning in closer to him, he brushed his dark hair to the side in order to place a kiss upon his forehead. His skin has always been so perfectly smooth and soft, so he couldn't help but want to touch it all the time. It felt like silk. Everything was finally okay, wasn't it? No more getting mad and running away, or stressing to the extreme. "..." His hand found its way over to his mate's stomach, where he proceeded to softly rub at it. It felt different compared to yesterday, but he didn't want to say anything.

It felt hard, in a way. This didn't put him off on touching it, obviously. There was nothing wrong with his body. All he could hope for, was that their baby was alright in there. With all of the stress he was under, it wouldn't surprise him if it did effect their son or daughter. Maybe it wasn't enough to do any damage? Guess he will have to ask Shisui to check him out, just to make sure that nothing is wrong. If he were to miscarry, wouldn't he have already done so by now? There was no blood on his pants, and he wasn't writhing in agony. Instead he was just sleeping peacefully alongside him, as if nothing happened earlier. This made him smile a little.

'I don't want to see you cry anymore. Please be happy, Sasuke.' The longer he stared at his face, the more he wanted him to wake up, just so that he could hear his voice. Was this how he felt earlier when just getting out of surgery? Waking him up would be pretty selfish of him though. That is why he was remaining silent, even though he had to pee really badly. Getting up would only wake him up, and he didn't want that. On the other hand he couldn't just stay here, and risk peeing right here. As long as he doesn't think about it, then it shouldn't become a problem. Even if it hurts, he will push it to the back of his mind.

He just wanted him to get as much rest as possible.

"Heh. I can sense our baby. Kurama, is this your doing? Are you giving me this ability to help put me at ease?' He asked, closing his eyes. The two have never been close with each other. In fact while growing up, he hated the demon's guts, and even wanted him dead. Earlier when running after his mate, he went as far as to threaten to kill him! That wasn't right of him to do, but at the same time, his mind itself wasn't in the right place. Not once has he sat down and tried to talk with the very being he shared his body with.

"Keh! Only because I don't want to hear you crying. A piece of me is inside that child, so do not fret. It will take a lot more than stress to get rid of it," the fox demon responded. It's true that they have never gotten along, but part of could see why. Since when have humans and demons gotten along? It was only natural that they would hate each other like this. What's new? For all of his existence, he has never gotten along with a single human being. Well, not since his very first host; but that was a long time ago. Humans have changed a lot since then.

Naruto's eyes widened in horror. 'What do you mean a part of you is inside my child?! What did you do Kurama?!' His heart sank to the bottom of his stomach. This couldn't be good. His gaze shifted down to his mate's stomach, and his hand twitched. Why was this happening? The last thing he wanted, was for his own son or daughter to go through what he did. He wouldn't put this burden on anyone, especially not his own child. The demon inside him sighed, as if in annoyance, and that caused his eyebrows to furrow.

"Calm down you brat! I'm still here, am I not? Besides, you should be thanking me. Without my powers, your baby would be toast." At least that is what he was assuming. To him humans are such fragile, weak beings. Clearly this Sasuke guy was stressing out a ton. In any other normal pregnancy, such a thing would have been very harmful to the unborn child, but in this case it was different.

'Thank you?! I can't believe you have the nerve to-...' He didn't know how to finish that sentence. Was it really all thanks to his demon that Sasuke didn't miscarry? Did putting a piece of himself into the baby really save its life? If so, then he really couldn't argue with that. At least it was alive, and doing well. That is when something else came to mind- something that really made him feel curious.

"Kurama, why? I get that you hate my crying... But that can't be the only reason why you did this. Are you... seriously trying to help me out, because you like me? If so, then why would you go so far for me? For my child, who you don't even know? I have always yelled at you, and pushed you away... Yet you went as far as to do all of this for us?' Perhaps this was too much to ask out of him. The least he could do was try though. There was no harm in asking. There was a long silence, before finally, the fox demon spoke up with that deep voice of his. They haven't talked to each other like this in a long time, and now suddenly he decides to pop up? It was just odd.

"Humans always push us demons away. It's in their nature. What you have done all of these years is only normal. I just simply don't want to hear you grieve over the loss of your child. It's annoyingly loud whenever you cry. Maybe now I can have some peace and quiet." Why would he care about this brat anyways? There was nothing special about him. Nothing at all. He didn't have anything worthy to provide him. It did feel strange talking to him like this though. The last conversation they had didn't end so well, and that is why they went so long without talking.

Naruto sighed, but he couldn't stop the small smile from spreading on his lips. Give it to the demon to hide his true feelings like that. What he doesn't seem to remember, is that he is very good at seeing through people, even beings like him. "Thank you, Kurama. I owe you big!" It was only a piece of him, right? That shouldn't be so bad. And if it is really helping the baby out, then he can't complain too much. It really was better than nothing. What he doesn't realize, is that he accidentally said this out loud, rather than saying it in his mind like he always does.

"Kurama? Who is that? And what do you owe them for?" It was Sasuke, who had clearly just woken up from his slumber. He was still trying to wake up, but he couldn't help but hear what his mate just said. There was no one else in the room with them, so that meant he was talking to himself. Why would he be talking to himself like that? At least his stomach wasn't hurting anymore. Did that mean his body was finally relaxing the way it should be? Well there was nothing else to stress over, so it would only make sense.

"...!" This caught him off guard. Did he seriously just say that out loud? Oh he was such an idiot! Wasn't he supposed to tell him about this anyways? Now was the perfect opportunity. What if things don't go so smoothly though? Sure his mate wasn't normal, but at least he didn't have a demon sealed inside of him. Instead he was just able to transform into a werewolf. There was nothing demonic about that.

"Naruto, you're acting weird. What's going on with you?" He sat up in the bed, and ran a hand through his hair to try and smooth it out. Not like it got that messy anyways, for there wasn't any room to roll around. Instead he stayed perfectly still in his lover's arms the entire time. His stare was intense, yet curious at the same time. Whatever was bothering him, he wanted to hear about it. Weren't they supposed to be there for each other during times like this? If there isn't any trust in a relationship, then it is bound to fail sooner or later.

He didn't want to be shut out. Not now when they have been through so much.

Guess it really was now or never. Naruto remained just laying there, as he stared up at the ceiling. There was a blank look on his face as he responded, but that is only because he didn't know how this was going to effect their relationship. You really did need trust in order for things to work. If you can't tell your partner anything, then it will only cause problems. And those problems will only get worse the longer you're with that person. He grabbed his hand in hopes that it will keep him calm, and he squeezed it gently.

"Remember earlier when I said that I wasn't normal? You didn't think much of it, but it in fact held a lot of meaning behind it," he asked quietly. His gaze never left the ceiling. He didn't want to see the reaction on his face when explaining his situation to him. He just wasn't ready for that yet.

The Uchiha slowly nodded. "I do. But looking at you, I don't see anything wrong. You look pretty normal in my eyes. Unless there is something that my eyes can't see. In that case, it must be hidden deep," he muttered, allowing his gaze to roam over the blonde's body. He did this a couple of times. It was like he was trying to see if he missed anything. Still, he couldn't find anything.

Naruto snorted. "You mean to tell me that you can't see the... fox demon residing inside me?" When he tore his gaze away from the ceiling to look at his mate, it revealed his piercing red eyes. His whisker makers also became larger, more defined. This meant that the demon's powers were leaking out, but only to a certain extent. He only allowed so much to escape, since he didn't want to literally lose his mind and wind up hurting someone. If that were to ever happen, he would never be able to forgive himself for it.

When their gazes locked, he felt a chill go down his spine. Those beautiful blue eyes were gone, now replaced with something more dark. It wasn't easy taking all of this in. What the heck was he talking about? A fox demon? The only one he could think of, was a nine-tailed fox demon that he once read in an old story. It was a book that he read as a child, but he didn't think it was actually real. Was this the same one that possessed his mate? If so, then that is just wild. There was no dying it, because the proof was right before him. How else did his face change like that?

Did he think that was enough to scare him away though?

Sasuke laid his hand over one of his mate's scarred cheeks, and he ran his thumb over one of the marks, noticing how deep they were. So this is how he got them then? And here he thought they were from an accident, or it was just some weird birth defect. His whole life he has always wondered how he got them, but just never asked. He just felt like it wasn't his place to ask, and that if he really wanted him to know, then he would tell him. Now that the secret was out, he didn't even know what to say. He stared into those red eyes of his once more, only this time he didn't feel that same chill. Instead he was calm.

"You are not a demon though, Naruto. You two are separate beings. If you're afraid of me viewing you differently, then think again. My feelings are still the same. I just wish I had known sooner. I'm also in no position to complain about that, since I never told you I was able to bare children. Guess we both kept something from each other, huh? I'm glad everything is being laid out in the open like this. Besides... I like these whiskers of yours. I miss your blue eyes though," he said with a gentle smile.

Naruto's eyes softened. "So if I told you a part of my demon slipped inside our baby, then what? That it's because of his powers that our baby is even still alive, and doing well?" He asked this almost too quietly. It was like he was afraid of being heard. That piece of information was a lot to swallow, and he could only hope that he won't take it the wrong way like he did at first. Hopefully he won't be upset with him. Even he didn't know of this until just recently, so he couldn't have told him even if he wanted to.

"..." Sasuke didn't react at first. You couldn't tell whether he was upset, sad, or happy. That's because he didn't know how to feel about this. With all the stress he put himself through, he probably should have miscarried just like his brother. If this demon really did save their child's life by doing that, then how could he get mad over that? It only shocked him that a being of his caliber would do something like that for a mere human baby. He placed both of his hands over his stomach, and just stared at it. Not only will it be a shapeshifter like him, but it might wind up with his mate's whiskers.

Absolutely adorable.

"As long as no harm comes to our child because of it, then I won't mind. What matters is that our baby was saved. I wasn't sure what state it was in, but I just tried not to think too much about it. I didn't want to make things worse by adding on more stress than my body and the baby can handle. You have to keep in mind that nothing is normal, Naruto. What is normal anyways? What defines that? Who defines it, I should ask," he corrected himself.

"So, looking at me like this doesn't bother you? Don't I resemble a demon with these features? Everyone else has always been afraid of me... Even my own parents didn't know what to do with me at first. Kurama was originally sealed inside my mother, but he managed to switch hosts while she was still carrying me. I-I was born like this. They didn't know if he was going to take over, and so they were always on guard. They had never taken care of a baby like me before. I'm just lucky that it never happened, but imagining how bad things could have gotten... How I could have so easily lost myself... I just..."

A strong pair of hands grabbed at his shoulders, and his head jerked up to meet with his lover's gaze. His vision was blurred, and that was due to the fact that his eyes had welled up with tears. All of this was causing him to become emotional, and he hated it. Weren't they supposed to be done with all of the tears? "S-Sasuke?"

So it's true then. This demon was in fact the same one he read about as a child. The name alone proved it. Knowing how powerful the fox demon is was definitely scary, but he wasn't worried about it. "But you didn't. The person sitting next to me is Naruto Uzumaki, and no one else. I understand that things were tough for you, but that is no longer the case. I'm not the only one allowed to be happy, you know. Your happiness matters just as much... And being with you, and creating this baby together has really changed me. I can't thank you enough for that. If it weren't for you both, I would have been stuck in that same darkness I have been in for a very long time..."

Sasuke squished his cheeks together so that he looked like a puffer fish, just to try and lighten up the mood. "You are still the same dork I have always known, and fell in love with. Now stop blabbering about being evil. You're the complete opposite of that. You are... light itself." He then leaned in to crush his lips against his in a passionate kiss. This baby was never going to be normal anyways, and he accepted that. There was no changing his mind now. It was too late for that. They are a family now.

"..." That was really sweet of him to say; and it was something he needed to hear. His eyes slowly changed back to their original blue, and his whisker marks went back to normal, as he kissed him back just as deeply. His hands found their way in his soft, dark hair, as he pulled him in closer. This whole time he has been worrying for nothing, and now he felt like an idiot. Well, a bigger idiot than he already is. To be compared to light itself was a lot to take in, but he couldn't afford to get all emotional again. Instead he focused on what was happening right now. This was a much needed kiss.

They didn't even notice that there was someone just outside the door, listening in on their whole conversation.

It was Shisui himself. His eyes were wide, and his fingernails were digging into the skin of his arm. In his hand was a clipboard, but even that had cracked due to his tightly he was gripping onto it. The legendary nine-tails was sealed inside that boy?! No wonder things didn't seem right with him. Those glowing red eyes, and those whisker marks should have been enough to click in his mind. Unfortunately it took having to eavesdrop on those two in order to find out what was really going on with him. Normally the Uchiha have never gotten along with the demon.

As a matter of fact, they have always controlled Kurama for their own selfish needs. How the heck is he allowing Naruto to be with one, knowing this? Does he see something different in his mate? If so, then what is it? Maybe he just knows that Sasuke isn't a bad person after all; but is that really enough for him though? And the fact that he went to such great lengths to protect a human baby really blew his mind, because that baby is half Uchiha itself. It has the blood of his enemy running through its veins. Just what was going on here?! Either way, he didn't like it.

"You're bleeding-" Hearing that soothing, deep voice made him jump from where he was standing. His hand flung to his chest due to being frightened like that; and when he saw who it was, his eyes only widened that much more. The blood from his arm dripped down his scrubs, but he didn't care. It was like he had completely blocked that out from his mind, for there was something much more important to focus on. There, standing before him, was his former mate; and he was all alone.

They were all alone.

His mind instantly turned to mush. He would have asked why he was here, but then he remembered that his brother and Naruto were in the room right behind that door. That is why he moved aside, and gestured towards it. He hung his head low, since he found it difficult to stare at him for longer than a few seconds. Every time they locked gazes with each other, the past would flood through his mind, and it would break his heart all over again. There was only so much he could take, and he was already at his limit. "I suggest knocking first." Those two were probably making out, due to the fact that things went completely silent between them. Might as well warn him before walking in on something like that. Talk about awkward.

Itachi looked him up and down. Boy was he a mess. The guilt was eating away at him, wasn't it? This isn't what he wanted though. "Raise your head, Shisui. I didn't come to see them. I want to talk to you." His stomach was twisting and churning from all the nerves he was currently feeling, but he tried not to pay it much attention. That is also why he tried to keep the straightest face possible when talking to him. If he lets it slip on how he honestly feels, then this won't work. His former mate will worry too much about him, and their talk won't go anywhere.

"Are you trying to run away from me again? After everything you said the other night, I honestly thought you were done... Yet here you are, avoiding me like the plague. What are you so afraid of?" He pressed, taking a step closer to him. If it was his father, then he needed to get over it. Fugaku will never change. It's just how he is. He's set in his own ways, and everyone else just needed to work around it.

"Looking at them... Seeing them all lovey-dovey, and happy, and super close just... makes me think about us when we were like that. I miss that... so much. I want it so badly that it hurts. It hurts, Itachi! That should have been us, damn it!" His hands balled up into fists, as he was trying to hide the fact that they were trembling.

"And it's all my fault. I abandoned you when you needed me the most, and look what happened because of it. I didn't know how to come back. What would I have said to you? I continued to fall deeper and deeper into darkness. I lost everything because of it. The only thing that helped to numb the pain, was getting high. If I wasn't high, I was drunk. No one wanted to hire someone like me, and so I wound up homeless. It took so long to get myself clean... And I only did it in order to get you and our child back. I focused on becoming a doctor to help afford a place of my own, so that you would have somewhere to move into. It's why I got a two-bedroom apartment. I thought that we could share a room, and our child could have the other one. Never did I think that it actually died."

He sank to the floor before him. "I loved that child. I looked forward to meeting it once I got my shit together. Now that I found out that it didn't get the chance to live... I just can't take it. I can feel myself slipping back into that darkness again, and I don't know how to stop it. Expecting you to forgive me was wrong, and I'm sorry for that. I shouldn't have chased you down like that, and forced you to talk. I was being selfish, only thinking of myself. But you were right in front of me, and I just... couldn't let you go again. Now I have finally realized that, perhaps... some things just can't be fixed."

"..." Itachi crossed his arms over his chest. The blank look on his face was now replaced with that of sadness. Never has he seen him act like this before, and it was honestly heartbreaking. He didn't know any of this. This whole time he has been struggling that much? Why didn't he tell him this before? Maybe he was ashamed of it. Or maybe he just didn't know how to explain it. Getting into drugs definitely changes you, and he was glad that he managed to get off of the stuff. Hopefully the same can be said about the alcohol. How broken is he? Looking at him like this, he could tell that it was pretty bad.

"Who decides what can and can't be fixed? I told you to give me some time. If I thought we couldn't fix things, then I wouldn't have said that. I do not want you to relapse. You have worked very hard to get where you're at right now, and I don't want any of that to be ruined all because of what happened in the past. Do you honestly think that my feelings for you magically went away? If they did, then I wouldn't have... hated seeing that woman all over you." He muttered that last part while looking away from him. It was an embarrassing thing to admit, but it had to be done. They can't afford to hold back on anything- not when their bond is hanging on by a thread.

"All these years I thought you moved on with someone else, and had forgotten about me. I expected you to have a family with someone else, and yet here you are... Struggling to get by because of everything that has happened. Knowing that you still love me and our child is enough. I'm sorry it didn't make it. You would have been a great father. You showered it with a lot of love when we found out about it. I remember the things you said to my stomach. Yes I say stomach, because it hadn't even formed ears yet." He said this with a slight chuckle. Till this day he still finds that to be amusing.

"I remember you saying how excited you were about it's existence, and that you couldn't wait to hold it in your arms. I remember you going on about how beautiful it will be, and that you hoped it would get my eyes. If you didn't love our child, then you wouldn't have said those things in the first place. You wouldn't have touched my stomach so gently." They were in their wolf forms, so Shisui technically thought those things. But he had his nose pressed against his stomach, so he was talking to it in a way. The words just didn't come out of his mouth, but rather in his mind. It still counted for talking to the baby, since it was a shapeshifter as well.

"When I lost our child, I vowed to never put myself in that position again. I couldn't go through another huge loss like that. I was content with seeing everyone else having kids of their own... Until I found out about my brother's pregnancy. For some reason it made me feel a certain way... Like I craved to carry a baby once more. But can I really put myself through that again? Can I... trust you to not abandon me like you did before? Being with someone else is out of the question. I can't connect with anyone else like I have with you, and that is because... you are my soulmate. It would be wrong of me to give up on you, especially since so much time has passed by. People really do change, Shisui..."

Itachi got down on the floor in front of him, making it so that they were more level with each other. "I would like for us to start out slow. It's because so much time has passed, that I need to get used to being with you again. So much has happened since we were last together, and so we need to focus on getting to know each other all over again. I want to know more about you being a doctor, and what life was like going to college. I want to know where you live, and what places you enjoy going to. I have missed out a lot, and would like to get caught up. How about it, Shisui?" He asked, holding his hand out to him. There was no point in holding a grudge anymore. It just wasn't healthy. It's much better to learn to forgive and move on. Although in this case they will be moving on together.

Shisui stared at the extended hand. Was he being serious right now? How the hell can he be so damn forgiving? When he mentioned wanting to carry another baby, his heart fluttered. Could he really do that to him again? At least he wouldn't abandon him like before. He would actually stick around to take care of them both. But for now he wanted to start out slow, and that is something he can do. It's better than not getting a chance at all, and losing him forever. 'Even after everything, you still consider me to be your soulmate? Is that why we found each other again, is because we were destined to be together? I don't deserve you... But I don't want to give you up. I couldn't stand it, seeing you with someone else.'

"T-there will always be a hole in my heart over the loss of our child, but... but I can love another. If you can honestly trust me again, then I will swear on my life that you will never go through something like that again. I would never leave you. It really is true that people learn from their mistakes. I'm a different person than I was years ago, and I would like to prove it to you." He grabbed Itachi's hand then. Starting out slow will be nice for them both. This leaves no room for being pressured into doing anything. Besides, they weren't going anywhere. They had a lot of time to focus on their relationship. Plus he won't let Fugaku get in the middle of them like before.

Getting Itachi back will be the best thing that has ever happened to him.

The younger Uchiha pulled his hand forward. Once it was close enough to his face, he stuck his tongue out and lapped it over the small wound. This will prevent it from getting infected, and will help it to stop bleeding. "No one else can tell us what to do anymore. Things between us will be better, actually. We are adults now. If anyone disapproves of us, then so be it. I will make them be civil with you." Even if it is his own brother, he won't allow him to be mean towards him anymore. This is his life, and no one else's. He deserves a shot at happiness too, and this man right here was the key to that. Moving on with some other guy just wasn't an option for him. The thought alone didn't even settle well with him.

Shisui is the only person for him, and that's that.

"C-can I... hug you?" If they are starting out slow, then they can at least do this much. It's not like he was asking for a kiss, or to grope him. There was nothing wrong with an innocent hug. It's just been so long since he has held him in his arms, and he missed that feeling. It was also for the best that he ask for permission first, before doing anything to him. He didn't want to touch him unless it was okay with him. This was the only chance he was getting, and he didn't want to mess it up. For now he needed to work on strengthening their relationship. He looked so incredibly gorgeous, especially in this lighting. His hair has also gotten longer. He can't wait to touch it.

Itachi couldn't help but chuckle at that question. "Don't be afraid to touch me." He yanked him back up to his feet as he stood up, and got much closer, closing most of the space between them. They can't just feel all awkward around each other. That will get them nowhere. Starting now they needed to act like an actual couple if they want things to work out.

"..." Shisui smiled softly in response to that. Could he blame him for being afraid? It is going to take a long while to heal. He still feels as though he doesn't deserve any of this, but he will take it. He will give it his all to make Itachi happy once more. And if he wants to try for another baby, then he will give him that. He will give him anything. First they need to work on themselves. It would also be nice to get married first. They can do things properly this time. After staring into his eyes for a few seconds, he stepped forward to wrap his arms around him. The embrace was gentle, as he was trying his hardest to be careful with him. He was treating him as if he were made of glass; and he just held him there for a while. Yeah, this is what he really needed. Maybe now he can finally live his life the way he should have.

This felt really nice. Laying his head on his shoulder, Itachi wound his arms around his mate. He almost forgot this feeling, and how amazing his scent was. If this is the wrong thing to do, then he will quickly learn his lesson; but he won't know unless he tries. If in the end this doesn't work out, then they will go their separate ways. However, it felt like that wasn't going to be the case this time. The way he was being held in his arms, it was almost like he was clinging to life itself. 'I hope I made the right decision. Please, just let us be happy again.' He tightened his hold on him while thinking this, as if refusing to ever let go. His love for him never went away. All he did was bury it. It was all he could do.

"Itachi... Itachi, I'm sorry. I can tell you this for the rest of my life if you want me to. I don't ever want to lose you again. It would kill me! I can only repair myself so much..." He whispered this into his ear. People were already staring at them funny, but he honestly didn't care about any of that. His most precious person was in his arms, so nothing else mattered.

"No more apologizing. We are moving on now, so no more grieving over the past. This will be a new chapter in our lives. So, Shisui, relax. I'm not going anywhere as long as you stick to your promises. Don't waste this second chance I'm giving you." He doesn't want to see him all sad anymore, and hearing him constantly apologizing for what he did back then will only make him remember it all over and over again. He honestly didn't want to think about it anymore. They are to live only in the present, and to focus on their future. That's it.

Author's note: RIP MY FINGERS. Okay, so no more chapters for now. I need to give my hands a break. I was supposed to be Christmas shopping, but instead I had the strong urge to write again lmao. Thank you for all of the kind reviews. It helps motivate me to write faster!~ ;w;