Love In A Mug

Chapter 15

The sun shone brightly in the bedroom even though the curtains were still closed. Naruto opened his eyes half way still feeling sleepy. After a moment of trying to fully wake up he realized that he was alone in the oversize king bed. He looked at the clock on the side of his bed. It was 11:47 am. He knew that Itachi was already up and about the day.

His right arm came to rest across his forehead and his left hand unconsciously laid over his stomach. As he became more aware of waking he was feeling the nauseousness consume him to the point that he threw back the blankets and rushed to the bathroom just in time to throw up in the toilet unable to control the loud retching sounds escaping his mouth. His throat burns with each time he retches and his eyes start to water with the effort. His abdominal muscles clench in pain at his heaving. Today his nausea seemed worst attribute to not just the morning sickness but the deep state of depression he'd fallen into. Although Mikoto talked with him he was still struggling mentally with the fact that there would soon be a new addition to the family coming from his own body.

He felt a warm hand on his back rubbing smooth strokes up and down his spine. Itach must've heard him vomiting. He leaned weakly against the broad form with tears streaming down his face. He was exhausted. His stomach still sour but not like earlier. He felt himself being lifted bridal style and being carried out of the bathroom and placed back into the bed. Itachi returned to the bathroom to flush the toilet and grab a cool cloth and some mouth wash. Naruto swished the liquid in his mouth and spit it back into the cup before lying back down.

"Feeling a little better?" Itachi asked as he placed the cool cloth over the tan forehead.

It was nice having someone with him. The last couple of months whenever he was sick it was always after Itachi was gone for work but since the raven's been home after taking a temporary leave he's been there by his side to comfort him every time the morning sickness hit.

"Yeah." Naruto responded snuggling into the pillow under his head.

He really didn't feel better but didn't want to say it. He was tired as shit and his biggest struggle was swallowing the crucial facts that he his body is functioning like a woman's. He was mad that it took getting pregnant to discover it. All of his life not understanding why he felt the way he did at times but now with a baby growing inside him he has the answers. It was the explanation for why he never got muscular like his friends in school even though he worked out the same as they did. 'You just have a higher metabolism,' they would say and as to why his chest would feel tender at times, 'Growing pains' the doctor assured.

"Feel like you could eat something?" Itch asked taking Naruto's hand to hold. "I made some soup. You should be able to keep the broth down for starters."

Now with the combination of being pregnant on top of the Addison's nothing was making matters better. Naruto thought about it for a moment before agreeing to put something in his stomach. He had to take his prenatal vitamins that they picked up after leaving the hospital and he didn't want to take them on an empty stomach.

Itachi gave him a smile and a kiss on the forehead before leaving to get him some food. Naruto knew that he was excited about being a father again and was patiently hoping that he would soon feel the same elation but the blonde just couldn't wrap his mind around that fact that he would be giving birth in five months. 'Why me?' he asked to himself as if he hadn't gone through enough medically in his life growing up and now this.

He wiped the tears that crept to the corners of his eyes before sitting up against the headboard and putting the cloth on the nightstand. He felt his belly and it seemed rounder than a few days ago. At first he thought he was just imaging it because he was conscientious of it now but the more he moved his palm over the area there was definitely increased growth like the baby was making sure he knew it existed.

Itachi reappeared with a tray that had a bowl of soup, his bottle of vitamins and a glass of orange juice.

"Thanks." Blowing on the steam before sipping the warm liquid. He could feel it traveling down his throat and into his belly hurried to nourish the life growing inside. He didn't know what to say to the man sitting on the side of the bed. It was strange talking about it even though it wasn't something that could be ignored. They had so much preparation to do in such a short period of time. Their life was changing rapidly and it was overwhelming. He hadn't counted on this and it wasn't that he didn't love children, granted they had Kiyoshi, but this was different. He envisioned time getting to know Itachi and bonding more with Kiyoshi without distractions. Now their family was expanding and the biggest distraction fogging his mind was the changes happening to his body. Changes that he's been dismissing, like the uncomfortableness below if he sat too long, the twinges in his lower back when he was on his feet all day at the cafe , having to urinate frequently and the one that has been most embarrassing was his chest feeling tender to the touch.

"Want to talk." Itachi broke the silence taking the empty bowl and handing him the glass of juice and vitamins.

What was there to talk about. He was pregnant and nothing was going to change. It wasn't like he could go back four months and ask his doctor for some contraceptives to take before his wedding night so that they could put off adding to their family later on in the way future or insist they use protection. The deed was done and this was the results.

"I guess we need to tell everyone, huh." Naruto sighed thinking that they might as well get it over with. It was some consolation that Mikoto already knew but...this was the rest of the family, their friends and their colleagues. He didn't want to. He just wanted to hide and avoid all of the eyes that would soon be falling on him and his...body.

"Its a start." Itachi said with a smile.

Naruto nodded rubbing the wetness from his eyes. Not like he would be able to hide it for long anyways.

Peering at the long face Itachi motioned him to scoot over so he could sit beside him. He put his arm around the blonde and drew him close so that Naruto was comfortably snugged against him. Itachi spreed his hand over the home of their unborn child. "This doesn't change who you are or how I feel about you. You're the best thing that's happened to me and I can only love you more and more every day." He said resting his chin on top of the messy curls. "I'm so happy to be having a child with you."

Naruto tried to blink back tears as he laid his hand on top of the larger covering his stomach. He snuggled deeper into the raven. He loved him so much and that's what should matter the most.

They laid in a comfortable silence. He was feeling a weird sensation and wasn't sure if he was going to throw up again but as he laid still and focused more on what felt like bubbles rolling around in his stomach he realized that it wasn't the churning of bile that he normally gets in preparation to purge his breakfast but what he was feeling were flutters. Naruto gently pressed down on their entwined hands then gasped in surprise when he made the connection. It was the baby...he could feel the baby moving.

Even though Itachi himself couldn't feel any movement yet he already knew what was going on and that Naruto was feeling the life they created for the first time. "Amazing isn't it." He whispered into golden locks.

Naruto squeezed the pale hand in silent agreement and the tears escaping the corners of his eyes were a confirmation of bewilderment and acceptance for the first time. "Our baby."