COMING HOME

Disclaimer: No. I don't own Naruto.

He leaned on the door frame and inwardly sighed. How did he get into this mess? His cerulean eyes gazed at his wife of two years; her long dark hair framing her face, shoulders hunched forward at the edge of the bed with her back turned on him.

"Hime, can I come in?" Naruto's voice was low and understanding. He didn't actually and specifically know what was wrong with Hinata but he was pretty certain there is something bothering her.

Hinata gazed at her feet as she tried to calm her hormones. It never had been this bad, her hand traveled to her round stomach to where her son has been residing for 38 weeks now. The kicks he's been giving her pelvis were close to making her cry but she was sure this wasn't labor yet.

The longer the tall blonde ninja stood by the door, the longer the baby in her womb threw his fit. Just what was wrong with him?

He just came home from a four day S-rank mission; S-rank meaning no communication to the village and only direct ones to the Hokage. From that long, tiring, and chakra-depleting mission coming home to this was really… disappointing – but Naruto chose not to say the latter.

Hinata gave out a loud sigh, "I..I told you to come home straight to me" Her voice was strained and weak, as if she had been crying for say, an hour now. Naruto grimaced at the thought.

"I'm here now"

.

.

.

The clock hanging on the wall was ticking, Hinata waited while pressing flowers and watching tv. Today was the day Naruto comes back home and she couldn't wait any longer to hold him again. It seemed as if the longer he was gone, the more she felt uneasy and queasy – even her son has been kicking her rather violently when his father's presence wasn't around. She gave out a deep breath. Her hands went to her protruding stomach, tracing the red and very angry stretch marks. Days like these when no one is expected to visit her, she would only use Naruto's shirt and a pair of cotton panties.

A loud gasp escaped Hinata's mouth as a strong foot kicked her pelvis. "T-Tadashi-kun" She whispered, as if calming the fetus in her womb.
Another strong kick went to her sides as she tried not to cry out loud. And no, this was just his normal routine, Hinata was not yet under labor. Feeling the literal rumbling in her stomach, she sat up straight leaning on the foot of the couch and eased her breathing. What was making her son so restless?

Does Tadashi feel his father's nearing presence? Is it why he kept having a kicking spree? Maybe Tadashi was excited for Naruto.

Activating her byakugan, a smile was recovered from her lips. Naruto's team was at the Hokage tower, handing the mission report scrolls to the Hokage.

Hinata giggled and caressed her exposed stomach before pulling down the hem of Naruto's dark blue shirt.
"Come home straight to me" Hinata remembered her say then, her voice filled with longing as Naruto embraced her from behind. She smiled at the remembrance when he said "Of course, Hime. I'll be back before you know it, believe it!" before flashing his infamous wide grin.

"See, Tadashi-kun, *Chichi is coming home soon"

Soon, unconsciously, she found herself watch Naruto walk to the streets. The night was getting dark. Her all seeing eyes blinked when Naruto was blocked with a pink haired comrade – Sakura.

Her eyes lingered for a while, not minding how restless her son was getting again.

Naruto grinned from her vision and then he nodded. The two certain ninjas were her main focus as they walked to the path of Sakura's apartment – later on he saw him wave with a grin before walking back to his apartment.

She deactivated her Byakugan, clutching her chest for oxygen as she reached for her tea on the table.

Naruto walked Sakura to her apartment. There was nothing wrong with that, it was dark already at this hour and he was just being a gentleman that he is – so why the hell was it getting harder for her to breathe?

A strong pang of jealousy crashed to her – even in Sakura was not walked to her apartment, she would have gotten there safe..she was not Tsunade's apprentice for nothing!

Hinata's anger cooked in the pit of her stomach and she didn't like it. She doesn't like being jealous (she was already jealous all her life), she doesn't like doubting Sakura nor Naruto, she doesn't like disliking her just because she's pretty, available, slim… unlike her with a huge stomach and a hurting feet.

Before she knew it, a tear escaped her eyes.
This time she couldn't even blame the hormones for her undying insecurities.

.

.

.

"You walked Sakura-san before coming home"
And even if she was turning her back on him, he knows very well she was pouting.

'And so this is where things are coming from.' He thought. "I was told by Tsunade that there was a roaming rapist—"

"So you went to escort Sakura-san, you didn't check up on me first. What if… what if…" Her sobs were quiet as her voice quieted down.

Naruto stood still leaning on the door frame – he didn't exactly understand her mood swings but this was the first one that she got jealous. Usually her mood swings from happy to very happy (in which she cries a lot) and to very mellow – so he was taken aback with her crying and sobbing about him not coming straight home.

Naruto blinked, "Hinata, you know I place traps in our apartment when I go out on missions to keep you safe"

Hinata stayed quiet for a while before speaking out in a hushed voice, "If there's a rapist there who's not yet caught in a village full of high skilled ninjas, d-don't you think he's quite good? He might be able to…to –" She let out a soft whimper, Tadashi was kicking hard on her pelvis.

"Sakura-chan—"

"I get it."
"You do?" Naruto raised his eyebrows and his tenant was constantly telling him it was not going to be a good conversation. He sighed…

"Sakura-chan is prettier, slimmer, single and a nice catch and—and, and men will go after her and..and not me!" Hinata managed to get the sentence done in an array of hiccups and sobs.
Naruto blinked.

Wow.

He took a step forward.
"I told you, you can't come in!" The back of her hand wiped her tears before she gave out a loud sob. He didn't mind her rejection, continued to walk and kneeled in front of her.

His ego swells as he remembered whose shirt his wife was wearing, how her pale legs complimented the dark cotton shirt and the navy blue bed sheets.
At least before this conversation, he was able to take a quick shower else he might have fallen asleep with fatigue now.

Tanned large hands caressed her stomach and he was welcomed with a small kick on his palm.

"Hey, little guy stop kicking your *Haha. Yeah, I miss you too" Naruto's nose nuzzled her stomach as he whispered his greeting to her little tenant.

Slowly, he looked up to meet his woman's lavender orbs. "Hime, stop crying. It's just the hormones, you know I'll always put you first before anything or anyone-"

"No!...Y-you, you're lying. You just don't want me anymore! I'm fat, I have this red stretch marks that wouldn't fade away, my hips are so big, not even any of your sweatpants can fit me now…I'm ugly and my feet gets crampy. I eat lots of food you don't get to eat as much ramen as you want! You can't go out without me getting in the way. Y-you do-don't get to drink with the guys anymore beca-use I can't go where people smoke. I.." With a fear of hyperventilating or choking on her sobs, he shook his head no and slowly ran his hands on her arms, trying to comfort her.

Naruto's eyes widened to the extent of this conversation. His hands then traveled to cup her face, getting rid of her hands covering her mouth and wiping her eyes…

"Hinata-hime, look at me"

And all she could see was the man she always loved. The man she gave her countless sacrifices to, the man she faced difficult times with, the man she always looked up to, the man who loved her, the man who gave her strength, the man who stood up for her… the man who married her. The man who gave her this child in her. The man of her dreams.

"I can't really think straight right now but I know this is just hormones. Listen. There is no way I'm telling you these are all true because you know they aren't. I don't know where you're coming from or where you got these ideas of me not loving you – really. Have I let you feel that way?"

Hinata scanned his face, his face was not boyish anymore – he's got this sun kissed tan that she always loved and made him look warm, his nose that was really perfectly tall and thin, his thin and strong lips that made her life brighter with a grin, his whiskered cheeks that he always loved scratching, his bright blonde hair that always reminded her of how his personality is…

And no, she shook her head, nothing that he did make her feel like he didn't love her enough. But why were her insecurities getting better of her?

"You are not fat, Hime, you're pregnant. I don't want to hang out with the guys without you too y'know, I'd rather spend the time taking care of you and our little Tadashi in here. And I'm sorry if you have sore feet, I was the one who always wanted to start a family, wasn't I? I put you up into this pregnancy that made you feel whatever you are feeling right now. So I'm sorry"

Her sobs grew louder.

How could this man love her so much she couldn't believe it?

"Hinata-hime, please stop crying"

Naruto sighed and walked to their closet with another shirt. "Please stop crying"
Hinata nodded, her eyes were still hazy though. "S-sorry. I'm sorry 'Ruto-kun. I'm sorry!"

"Hey hey, it's okay. I understand. Now, I'm changing your shirt because you've been crying and sweating a lot. I don't want you to catch a cold especially now that Tadashi-kun is getting restless to see the world"

Hinata forced a smile and nodded.

Lifting the hem of his shirt she's wearing, he finally saw the red angry marks on her hips that crawled up to her midriff. His fingers touched the marks, realizing how stretched her stomach was, how delicate she is… for him and his child. He blinked. Of course, he also didn't forget to notice how big her chest has gotten too – which was like a DD sized according to his Jiraiya-trained-eyes. Naruto cared less, he changed her to his other shirt – which was white with a large and red Uzumaki clan symbol in front.

He then handed her a glass of cool water to keep her cool – for now.

With a finishing gulp, she looked at him with a flushed face and red rimmed eyes. "I'm really sorry. I was out of line"

With a smile, he picked her from the edge of the bed to the center. He nodded at her, "I know you are sorry. No harm down, how about we sleep now?"

Naruto picked plump pillows to support her back as he made her lean on his chest with a round space in between them.

Her face looked up to him only to see his angular jaws and his nicely shaped chin – how perfect was her husband now to her? With a soft kiss, she nuzzled her nose to his neck mumbling apologies.
"And I don't really care if you get wider hips; you know how to work them"

With an inward smirk, he felt her face getting hotter and he almost laughed when he received a slight punch.

"Your hips are big and you know how I like your curves, not to mention you need to buy a new set of brassier. *oof!* A-and I don't really think I deserve the second punch, Hime. I'm making you feel better you know"

She giggled and pulled him closer to her, as closer as Tadashi in her womb would let her.

"I-I don't think that was to m-make me feel better!" She laughed. With a smile, again, he placed his palm on her stomach – the atmosphere was lighter than before. His Hinata was back to her old self.

Slowly, he pushed himself and lowered to Hinata's stomach.

"Hey, little guy. Stop giving your Haha a hard time when Chichi is not around. And please don't look forward to being a ninja – even if I think you're going to be better than me – I don't want to imagine my son getting hurt. I love you Tadashi-kun, believe it!"

Hinata gave a giggle as Naruto chuckled.

"Nata-Hime"

"Hai, Naruto-kun?"

Her eyes shone under the moonlight's gaze.
"Say you love me"

Hinata blinked and gave a soft smile, "I love you, Naruto-kun. So much"

With a returned smile, he nodded. "I love you too, so much as well. So please stop crying because I don't want to see you sad. Please stop crying over these matters, Kami knows I'd choose you and only you in this lifetime or in another. Only you, so don't doubt my love for you"

With a strong urge to cry, she blinked it all away and nodded.

"Hai, I-I won't. I love you Naruto Uzumaki, I love you"

A kiss landed on her forehead and lips, "Much better, Hinata Uzumaki."

And again, he captured her lips before he rolled back to his much needed sleep with his woman tucked under his arms.

And he thought life couldn't get any better.

*HAHA - MOTHER

*CHICHI - FATHER