Any Danger, Any Threat

I'd been dating him for a while. We were both shinobi and he was a little bit older than me, and strong. Handsome. He was kind as well, someone I was especially close to, I felt comfortable with him, as though I was truly at home. I think we must have had a real connection, something that made us especially close. Me and Udon. My Udon. My boyfriend.

I admit now that I've been avoiding him for some time. That's why he's over there, looking like he's looking for something while I watch from just around the corner. He's probably looking for me. He's probably feeling lonely. He looks good even when he looks so concerned. I don't think I can face him right now though. Right now I have my own disaster to deal with.

You see, two years of dating this boy, plus, what, six months of getting really intimate once we were both ready? I think my father would be pissed if I so much as kissed a boy he hadn't given official approval of. If he heard I wasn't exactly his perfect little virgin daughter, he'd probably blow his top and go on a killing spree. I can imagine telling him I'm pregnant would be the same as digging my own grave.

Ah, oops. Yeah, that's pretty much the problem here. A while ago I was late for my period and I was just there like 'please, please don't be so'. I swear I've taken like 20 tests and pretty much all of them have been positive. Most of them have. Naturally, I'm kind of panicking. And that's what brings me here, crouched behind a fence with my knees to my chest, watching Udon look for me. I'm ashamed to admit I was crying. He drew closer, hands in his pockets, and with a gasp, I shot to my feet, intending to run for it. My foot caught on my dress and I ended up sprawled, flat on my face in the dirt.
"Hanabi!" Hands were on my arms, helping me sit up. He was laughing slightly. "Are you okay?"
"Fine." I insisted sharply, wiping my eyes quickly to make sure he didn't see the tears. He stroked my cheek with one hand, pulling me into a hug with his other arm.
"What's wrong, Hanabi-san?"
I couldn't tell him. I let him hold me as I debated telling him. On the one hand, it would ruin his life. We were nowhere near old enough to have a child. On the other, he deserved to know if I was having a baby. He stroked my hair, keeping me close and warm like a child. Like I was safe with him, safe from anything, even my own panic and family and...everything. Still, I didn't speak. I curled myself up tight, into a ball, just wanting him to hold me and keep me safe while I cried.

And he accepted that. He just held me, rocking me slightly as he rubbed my back in calming circles. He wanted to be sure I was alright. That was enough until finally I calmed down, and he held me at arm;s length, looking at me questioningly. "What happened?" He asked uncertainly. "Did you get into a fight with your dad or something?"
"No...but I'm going to." I blurted, hands clenching around the material of his jacket. I wanted to be drawn back into that hug, but he kept me at bay. "Something...something bad's happened, Udon."

I should have told him outright. Now he was really worried. He drew me back into that warm embrace and shushed me. "It's alright. Tell me all about it."
I can do this, I told myself. "The thing is, my period was late and at first I wasn't worried because sometimes it is so yeah and sometimes they just don't happen but then I really, really worried because what if I was pregnant? I mean, we've been together a lot lately, haven't we? So then I started panicking so I took a test, and it came back positive, but I didn't want to accept that so I took another test, and another, and another, and they all came back positive so I can't deny it any more it's real I'm going to have a baby but I'm too young and my dad's going to freak and kick me out and this is my whole life over!"
He stared at me for the longest moment and silence settled around us. I realised I had shouted and went red, fearful that someone else had heard me. The silence became awkward, uncomfortable, as he tried to think of something to say in response. Of course, this meant it wasn't just my life that was ending here, it was his too. Eventually, he glanced away with an ever so soft sigh.
"I...I'm here for you, Hanabi. Okay? No matter what, I'm here for you."
"You...you are?"
He nodded, cuddling me close once more and planting a kiss on my cheek.
"Anyone in their right mind would run!" I exclaimed. What boy wanted to be tied down with a child at our age? Udon just shook his head.
"I'm a man. I'm a ninja. I'm supposed to be able to face anything. Any danger, any threat. Only a coward would run. Only someone who couldn't care less about you. Only someone who didn't deserve you."
In this short time, he'd clearly given this a lot of thought. He had decided a small collection of things. First and foremost, he loved me. He loved me enough to stick by my side through any adversity. Secondly, he was going to be responsible whether he liked the outcome or not. He was pretty sure he was going to hate what was to come, but he was responsible enough to deal with the consequences of his own actions. Thirdly, he was no coward. He would never run away and he would never forsake those important to him. I guess that made him truly commendable. He would sit through this with me, ensure I got through it all okay. I tried to keep up the tough Hyuuga air, but I broke down in sobs and buried my face in his chest. I think he got the message though.

That was a week or so ago. Now we're stood just outside the Hyuuga complex. He's holding my hand so tight I think he might be cutting off my circulation. We have to tell my father at some point, even though we know he'll totally freak out. At least I'm not alone. Together, we could face any danger. Together we can power through any threat to our lives. Together, we're even stronger than before and we can accomplish anything we couldn't by ourselves.

Like having a baby...jeez, this'll be a long day.