Nara OneShots

Baby Steps

Requested by: jakihya123

Shikamaru found Naruto in a pool of blood, the blonde crying softly. He had gone through a miscarriage, the shock rendering Naruto immobile. It was so much blood, that Shikamaru had to pick him up and carry him to the hospital to have their unborn child removed before Naruto went into septic shock. The blonde had to be force-fed for weeks after and while Shikamaru knew it was for his beloved's good the way Naruto screamed and threw things made him think otherwise. Then he got quiet, really quiet, which made Shikamaru worried. 

He decided to get cameras because they did warn that omegas can become suicidal at the loss of a child. He anxiously watched Naruto from his phone at work only to realize he was nesting in the room that would have housed their child. He brought all of Shikamaru's clothes to the room made a nest and curled up in it before he started crying. He would always wash the clothes, iron and put them back in place before Shikamaru reached home and when he saw this he wondered how long Naruto had been doing this for to be this efficient. 

He's watched this play out for the past few days and every time he tries to confront Naruto, to get his beloved to open up the blonde would clam up instead, physically covering his mouth to not say anything. Shikamaru was certain Naruto already had a narrative in his head as to why they lost the baby. And it was so bad he couldn't dare to tell Shikamaru because he was afraid of Shikamaru's answer. 

When he came home that night Naruto was cooking for the first in a long while. He looked normal but Shikamaru could see in his eyes that he wasn't all there. He watched him keenly as he sat on the island. "Ino's invited us to a barbeque."

Naruto froze and dropped the plate he was carrying,  he flinched at the sound but before he could reach out and pick it up Shikamaru's alpha voice came out. "Stop and go sit down." 

Naruto had no choice but to go sit down and let Shikamaru take over when he got his food he didn't eat it. Shikamaru watched his mate curiously. "You can say no, I won't force you to be there."

"It's fine, I should show my face at least," He mumbled.

The day of the barbeque had an underline tension in the air. No one dared to mention the miscarriage and Naruto found himself able to indulge a bit with TenTen and Ino in a quiet corner. But it was too hopeful not to hope for provocation. Ino was livid Sakura would turn her event into a chance to one-up the blonde omega.

"It seems even the most perfect omega had to be cursed somehow," Sakura snickered as she rubbed her small baby bump. "You can't even carry a child for your alpha. It's such a shame really, maybe Shikamaru's already got your replacement lined up."

Naruto kept his head down, listening to the poison Sakura spewed before running out when Shikamaru was finally alerted to what had happened. "You untalented wench! How dare you even compare yourself to Naruto! You're nothing more than a spoiled bitch that had to buy your way to your alpha who already rejected you before. Don't you feel inadequate? Your alpha is only fulfilling his contractual obligations, he doesn't love you, nor your child."

Sakura gritted her teeth as others snickered around her. It was more of an open secret but since she came to dig into fresh wounds who was Shikamaru to hold back? He quickly left after Naruto but not before sneering at her.

"You were never even in the race to compare to Naruto. Even the omegas gathered here have more class and elegance in their body than the crude shriveled husk you call a body."

****************

"You're going to be fine, I will never leave you. I meant my vows and I need you to mean yours because this isn't it Naruto," Shikamaru shed tears as he bandaged the wrists of his omega. "Do you want to leave me?" 

"Of course I don't," Naruto cried. "I'm sorry, I got into my head. Sakura triggered me and I thought this would be better." 

"No," Shikamaru murmured. "I need you alive and healthy, we have to have you that way to bring healthy children. I know you want to tell me something and I can't force you but I can't help you unless I know." 

Naruto remained silent before looking up at Shikamaru with pleading watery blue eyes. "Promise me you won't hate me." 

"I could never Naruto," Shikamaru hugged him and Naruto finally spilled the beans. 

The orphanage he grew up in fed them a concoction of drugs that had a very harsh side effect of infertility as they grew older. Naruto thought it was a miracle he got pregnant but when he lost the baby he viewed it as those drugs causing it to happen, stripping his womb lining to the point he couldn't hold his baby for nine months. He begged Shikamaru not to leave, promising to carry at least one child to term no matter what. 

Hearing Naruto's desperate wails made him want to clock Sakura across the face for dragging it all out in such a harsh and disgusting way. "We need to visit our physician, get some work done, and repair your womb. I'm happy you told me so I can help you properly. Never believe you aren't worth the resources I have baby blue. We'll make this right okay?" 

"Okay," Naruto sobbed, sinking into Shikamaru's arms even further.

True to his word, Naruto started a round of drugs meant to reverse the damage, Shikamaru could see the difference in Naruto, he was glowing really, more than he did before. Maybe he's always been sick because of those drugs in some way but no it's being corrected. They tried for the second time when Naruto's heat came around and the blonde fell pregnant. Naruto was waiting at home with the pregnancy test. 

"We're pregnant," Naruto shoved about three tests into Shikamaru's arms which were all positive. 

"How are you feeling?" Shikamaru asked instead. He was already thrumming with excitement but he cared about Naruto's mental state before his reaction. 

"I'm nervous, I don't think I'll believe it's real until we've reached the stage to confirm genders," Naruto rubbed his belly in thought. "I feel like fainting at times." 

"We got this," Shikamaru hugged him. "Nothing like before will happen this time okay? Just take deep breaths and let's go build your nest alright?" 

"Okay," Naruto's voice was muffled, his hands curled into Shikamaru's jacket as he was guided to their bedroom. "You're gonna make an amazing father." 

"And you are an amazing mother."