"What are you doing?"
"Trying to show my affection for you."
/\/\/\/\/\
And that's how it had started.
Sure, that had been roughly ten years ago, but that was the beginning nonetheless.
It had been your typical preteen romance – the hand-holding, the not-so-secretive glances, the notes passed back and forth during class. It was so simplistic and immature it wasn't even funny. But it had made them happy.
/\/\/\/\/\
"Where are you going?"
"Away."
"Why? I don't want you to leave."
"I don't want to leave you. But I just… I just have to."
/\/\/\/\/\
That had been the first end of an era for them. After the darker of the two had departed without giving any particularly good reasoning, the brighter had been depressed. He tried to get over it, telling himself that it wasn't the end of their relationship, that his love would return to him soon enough.
Which, as was widely known, did not happen for quite some time.
Nor had it happened how he'd wanted it to.
/\/\/\/\/\
"This is why you left? To go off with him?"
"I had to. Please, you have to understand. I needed this."
"I can't believe you left me for this. You goddamn traitor."
/\/\/\/\/\
It was unreal how quick after their long-awaited reunion that they'd had their first real fight. They'd gone off to a private room in the base to discuss it.
Or rather, to yell about it.
Right at the climax of their argument, though, one of them or maybe both of them together had grabbed the other and smashed their lips together in the kiss they'd both been waiting for for two and a half years.
/\/\/\/\/\
"S-Sas… ke…"
"N-Naruto!"
/\/\/\/\/\
Unsurprisingly, they'd had their first time directly after the argument. It was hot, sweaty, and passionate. They'd both craved for this kind of intimacy with each other for as long as they'd known what those three little letters meant.
/\/\/\/\/\
"I… I don't want to be apart from you again. I don't know how long it'll be for this time."
"Then come with me."
"You know I can't do that."
/\/\/\/\/\
The day after their reunion at that snake freak's base, they'd had a second heartbreaking separation. Neither one wanted to leave the other, but they both knew deep down that they had to. After all, they'd already chosen opposing sides.
/\/\/\/\/\
"It's been a while."
"I wish it didn't have to be like this."
"Me too. But our fates were decided long ago. This has to happen. We can't avoid it."
/\/\/\/\/\
They hadn't seen each other again until their second meeting at the Valley of End. They both knew what they had to do. They just didn't want to.
Their fight was intense, even if it was only half-hearted. Neither really wanted to hurt the other, but they had to fight. When they both couldn't take it anymore, they collapsed side-by-side on the ground. They laid there unmoving, breathing heavily, for several moments before one of them reached their fingers out to interlace them with the other's fingers.
No words were spoken.
None needed to be.
/\/\/\/\/\
"We shouldn't…"
"I know it's wrong, but we both want it."
/\/\/\/\/\
Several years had passed. They hadn't seen each other since the day of their fight, but they'd both eventually gotten over it.
Mostly.
The hero had gotten everything he'd wanted. He became Hokage, found a beautiful wife, and had had two darling little kids to be proud of.
But he still didn't have the one thing he still wanted.
The one thing he'd always wanted since he was twelve years old.
And now, he had finally got it back. He wanted nothing more than to be with his first love, but he knew he couldn't just do that. He had a good life, he had responsibilities. And he couldn't do that to his lovely wife.
At least, he thought he couldn't.
And yet…
/\/\/\/\/\
"F-fuck…"
"I've m-missed you so f-fucking much. So… much…"
/\/\/\/\/\
The evening the hero's secret love had returned to their village, they'd finally gotten to please each other a second time. They both knew it was wrong, but they couldn't help themselves.
/\/\/\/\/\
"We really can't keep doing this."
"I don't care if it's wrong. I love you."
"I love you, too."
/\/\/\/\/\
They'd kept a hidden relationship up since then. No one knew, at least they didn't think anyone knew. They were normally careful about it, but there were always times when they couldn't control their raging hormones and did it on the Hokage's desk.
/\/\/\/\/\
"I think she knows."
"How could she? We've been careful. Especially around her."
"She's a lot more perceptive than you might think."
/\/\/\/\/\
The young Hokage knew that his wife had a growing suspicion about them. He also knew he should end whatever it was that he and his dark lover had going on, but he could never bring himself to do it. He felt horrible about it, especially on the night his daughter had found them making out rather heatedly in his office. He'd taken her outside and had said it was nothing to worry about, and had subtly hinted at the fact that she should never let her mother find out about it.
/\/\/\/\/\
"I really shouldn't love you."
"I definitely should love you."
"But I just can't help it."
/\/\/\/\/\
As wrong as he knew it was, he couldn't leave his secret lover.
He couldn't even try to.
Because it had made them happy.
FIN.