My Lover's Keeper

75. Kaminoki (part 2)

Sasuke looked at the sleeping blond, who got overwhelmed by the dinner party. The latter was still on, although it was so quiet the raven could swear it was just the two of them in the whole house.

"Sasuke dear," Iruka opened the door. "Why don't you go downstairs? I'll watch over him."

"I don't mind-..."

"But I do. It's your birthday. Go on,"

Sasuke looked back at his beloved, stroking his cheek before he planted a kiss. "I love you." He whispered, hesitating to leave.

He felt Naruto's hand holding his and turned to find those kind blue eyes.
"Where are you going?"

"The party is still-..."

"Can't you stay?" He frowned, wanting to be selfish for once and have Sasuke all for himself.

"That's what I had in mind before Iruka-san decided to kick me out of here." Sasuke smiled, he didn't care much for parties and the people there apart from his close family were all strangers.

"Kaasan?" Naruto furrowed his eyebrows, but he moved his attention to the door seeing a silhouette there. "He's my husband, dattebayo?"

Sasuke chuckled but his voice was too weak to reach the brunet. "that was never in question, I'll go change and join you, okay?"

"Okay, I'm counting." He pouted letting go of his raven.

Sasuke walked over to Iruka, "I hope you don't mind apologizing to everyone on our behalf."

"Darling, just go downstairs, okay? Naruto is in good hands with me."

"But he nee-..."

"Just trust me," Iruka insisted waiting for him to step out of his son's bedroom.

Sasuke didn't even have the chance to go back inside again as his mother-in-law sternly got him out.

Naruto felt the bed shift and opened his eyes seeing his mother.
"Sasuke-..."

"It's his birthday, he needs to unwind a bit." Iruka tucked hair behind his son's ear. "you're holding on too tight, sweetie, it will make it harder for him to move on. Let him have some space. Okay?"

Naruto gulped trying to get rid of the lump in his throat. "Kaasan, I'm scared."

"I know," the brunet got in bed holding his son in his arms. "That's only human." He kissed his forehead. "We're all scared, even Kurama is." Iruka wiped away his own tears as he felt the skeleton that his son had become.

No one in the party dared say a word, but everyone saw the different person Naruto had become just a month and a half after his wedding. His body was wasting away faster than anyone would like to admit.

Iruka kept him close while the blond fell asleep before they were able to have a proper conversation.

Downstairs, Sasuke felt alienated. The faces he knew from school of people he once considered friends. Although most of them were Naruto's friends.

He sat in the corner all by himself, a can of Soda he mindlessly swished around.

The look they were giving him was familiar.

Pity.

They pitied him now much like they had two years ago. Their reason was different but it didn't make it feel any better.

"Hey," the dark haired teen with the tired brown eyes sat down next to him unamused. "What are you thinking of?"

"Does it matter?" Sasuke shut it down.