month 0.
Smaller than a grain of salt.
It started on top of Nejiâs raggedy, old, summer camp sleeping bag. All heat and mouths trailing wet kisses down necks, across collarbones, on hips; two pairs of briefs hitting the floor, a raspy, whispered yes, then a slick slide. He still doesnât know exactly how they got there or whenâmust have been sometime after doing lines in Naruâs lap in the backyard, encouraging the other boy turn into his slutty alter-ego, and watching him give the new kid in town a lap dance so thorough that he thought he saw one of the townâs resident bottle-blondes shove a twenty or two in the front pocket of those tight-ass shorts Naru loves to wear.
Seventeen days later, his nipples are sore and heâs nauseous when it hits him. They didnât use a condom. He has no idea when his last cycle was beforehand.
So, what does he do? He makes an emergency run to Konoha. Naru will know what to do.
 Naru, does in fact know exactly what to do and say to soothe his frazzled nerves. He doesnât have a problem slapping the two garish, pink boxes that will tell him if his life is overâone as a pre-test, and the other finalâon the counter along with the money, giving the cashier the finger, and rolling his eyes at her as she judges him.
Meanwhile, Gaaraâs just trying to ignore the eyes burning twin, bug eyed holes into the back of his head. Itâs not working so well. But heâs always been a master of the art of diversion.
âFuckâs her problem?â He says to Naru once they exit the store.
âHell if I know,â Naru says, shrugging his shoulder, âher mama canât stand me, and I guess the apple donât fall far from the goddamn tree.â
He lets out snort a snort and replies, âThatâs so sad. Youâre a fuckinâ gem, Naruto Uzumaki.â
Naru gives him his signature million-watt grin, âDitto, Gaara No-Last-Name.â
It never fails to amuse him how Naru has heard his last name plenty times and still hasnât figured out that itâs his.
When they get to the car, Gaara opens his mouth and asks, âWanna go see Kiba for a lilâ bit before I get outta here?â
Naru tilts his head to the side, hand frozen on the door handle, âI thought you came to spend time with me?â
Gaara rubs his neck as he gets into the driverâs seat, âDonât get me wrong, I did.â He says, tone apologetic, âBut I gotta be back before six-thirty âcause my mama gotta be somewhere before seven and her carâs in the shop.â
Naru nods and ducks into the passengerâs seat, shutting the door with a quick slam, âLetâs do it.â
âPlus, I gotta go rescue Kankuro, Kibaâs mama look like she eats lilâ punk kids for breakfast.â
Naru laughs, something that never fails to cheer Gaara up. âShe ainât gonna eat him,â Naru says, âthatâs Kuromaruâs job.â
Gaara cranks the engine and grins at Naru, âLike hellIâm finna miss that. So, where am I headed?â
âWhen you get to the end of the lot, make a right, keep straight, and itâs two blocks over. Itâs the place with big house, a big sign, and all the dog toys in the yard. Sign says, âInuzuka Kennelsâ on it.â
âYou got it, boss. Kankuro drove in, and I was sleep most of the way, so I donât know where the hell Iâm goinâ.â
***
The car ride is short, maybe five minutes with the midday traffic but Naru fills the car with loud music and a slew of questions. Gaara tunes most of them out with generic answers, because Naru asks him stuff all the time and wonât remember it twenty minutes later. But the boy asks one that cuts through to him.
âYou gonna be okay?â He says with a look so soft and sincere it almost makes Gaara want to cry and hurl up the egg salad sandwich he ate before he got here.
Gaara decides to answer him honestlyânot that he ever really lies to Naru, âDonât know.â He says, âGuess Iâll find out soon enough. Naru nods and leaves it at that as he points out where to turn into the driveway.
And if the knot in the pit of Gaaraâs stomach somehow loosens then tightens back up, well thatâs his own business.
***
Hellcat practically barrels Naru over the second he says his hellos to everyone in the house and waves Gaara inside. Naru hugs his boyfriend back like he hasnât seen him in years, when really, itâs only been a day or two. Gaara rolls his eyes, He hopes he never gets that lovesick.
Kibaâs mom is a delight, though. She pulls him into a gentle hug when she walks into the kitchen to greet them properly, then offers him a hielito from the refrigerator freezer. As he sits at the small, kitchen table, eyeing the kitschy decorations on the wall and focusing his attention on the can of Money House Blessing air freshener, he almost forgets about the black grocery bag with those two pink boxes inside on the car seat. Almost.
***
âSo whatâs in the bag, baby bro?â Kankuro asks once theyâre on the freeway, leaving humid and hazy Konoha behind and heading into the perpetual dust storm that covers Suna.
See, Gaara might never lie to Naru, but he doesnât mind lying to his older brother at all. âRemembered I was outta pads. Figured I should grab some before mommy leaves.â
 Kankuro sniffs, but doesnât make a face like he does when Temari mentions needing personals. âI wouldâve taken you to get some before we got home.â He says, squinting at the road. âI donât mind.â
Gaara sucks his teeth, âAnd have to sit there and watch you suck the life force out of your boyfriend? Iâd rather watch paint dry.â
âJesus, you wound me.â Is the last thing Kankuro says for the rest of the ride, too busy focusing on the road. He even has the radio turned all the way down so he can see better. Gaara snorts, maybe he should mention that Kankuro needs glasses to his mom.
Their house is less than five minutes away from the freeway, tucked into one of those fancy, wannabe gated communities where only half of the houses are built because the construction workers canât work when the dust storms kick up too badly. Which means they just take the whole summer off, lazy bastards.
Kankuro pulls into the driveway and Gaara grips the plastic bag so hard it might rip. Itâs not like his parents can see through it, and he can stash it under his bed until heâs ready for his life to be overâŚSo why is he so nervous?
âHow was your trip out, honey?â his mother asks the second they walk in the door and past the living room.
âGood.â He and Kankuro answer in unison, Kankuro heads into the living room and Gaara shoots up the stairs before she can ask anything else.
Two lines. Four, if you count both tests glaring back at him from the bathroom sink.
Heâs fucking pregnant.
Nami wraps him up in a hug and he feels himself getting light headed. Fucking pregnant, he thinks, whose gonna take me seriously now?

















