A/N: Welcome! I'm totally psyched that you decided to click on my story! It's going to be three (possibly-maybe four) chapters long. The whole idea came to me as I was driving past some duplexes and saw that they share backyards… and it all sprouts from there! So enjoy, and be sure to come back later for more. (Oh yeah, the setting is modern-day… not Naruto universe.) Good luck!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Or Sasuke. That's why I still write fanfiction.

Six Years Old

Cicadas buzzed in the early afternoon heat that pressed down on the earth like a warm blanket. Humidity hung heavy in the air and bees buzzed drowsily around flowers. The whole world seemed to slow down in the oppressive heat. The sun sat directly ahead in the sky, its unforgiving beams making horizons shimmer softly. Robins chirped occasionally, alerting the world to their presence while remaining hidden.

The sudden rustling of tree leaves was followed by a pleasantly cool breeze. Sasuke felt the fresh air blow gently over his face, cooling the sweat beading his forehead. The shade of the tree surrounded him as he laid face-up on the cushiony grass. Specks of light danced before his eyes as he watched the leaves above him flutter in the wind, occasionally letting the sun peek through.

The air conditioner next to his duplex kicked on and an electric hum added to the sounds running through his ears. A small sigh escaped his lips and his eyelids found their way closed. He breathed in deep through his nose, taking all the flower, grass, and exhaust smells in together.

"Honestly, Sasuke, I don't understand why you can't play just like the other six year olds around here," his mother often told him. "You spend all your time under that tree in the backyard. Why don't you go ask that nice Ino girl if she'd like to play?"

His answer was always the same: a rather heavy sigh. Sasuke didn't want to tell his mother he had no interest in playing with Ino or any other one of his neighbors for that matter. He was perfectly content with resting under his giant oak tree, taking in the world around him. It was something nobody in his family would ever understand, not even his brother Itachi.

Sasuke slowed his breathing, savoring the feel of the occasional flash of sun across his face. Another breeze blew past, tugging gently at his hair. Peace surrounded him, giving him a sense of security. Sounds of pots banging together floated over from the duplex, alerting him that lunch would soon be ready. Only a few more minutes remained of his precious serenity before he would have to return to the artificial coolness of his family's half of the duplex. Time wouldn't slow down enough for him to stay outside forever.

Sasuke's ears perked as grass near his head rustled without any accompanying wind. His eyes scrunched slightly as he frowned, feeling someone's eyes on him. His family knew he didn't like to be disturbed! He pursed his lips, ready to pitch a hissy fit at whoever had decided to watch him without permission. But as he opened his eyes he found himself staring at sky blue.

Complaints died on his tongue as he looked up at what must be the sky, for nothing else in the world was that vibrant blue color. All his anger evaporated as peace filled his body once again.

And the sky blinked.

"HEY," a young voice yelled from directly above his head. Sasuke flinched at the loud sound that shattered the previous silence. He blinked up at the pair of eyes that stared upside-down at his own.

"HEY!" The voice yelled again, this time causing a spark of annoyance to ignite in Sasuke's chest.

"WHAT?" he yelled back, sitting up suddenly. His forehead collided with something extremely hard and he heard a loud CRACK! Immediately his forehead blossomed with pain, causing tears to well in his eyes rapidly. He blinked, putting a hand to his injured brow.

"Ouch…" whimpered the other voice, sounding to be on the verge of tears as well. Sasuke whirled around to get a good look at his observer.

Small hands covered the now-closed watery blue eyes. A red mark adorned a tanned forehead. Blonde hair that glowed like the sun was tousled into natural spikes. A small mouth was set in a grimace, revealing slightly canine-like white teeth. Beneath the small hands Sasuke could make out faint scar lines, three on each cheek. The kid was about his age and scrawny but somehow put out a powerful air of confidence.

"Are you ok?" Sasuke heard his own voice say automatically. He slapped a hand up to his mouth, embarrassed. Never had he wanted to help anyone before, but this kid…

"Yeah, I think so…" the kid's voice had regained its composure and he wiped the tears away from his blue eyes. "Are you?"

The question bounced around in Sasuke's head before he fully registered it. This kid had asked if he was ok. Nobody ever asked if he was ok. They simply assumed he was fine because he never complained.

"Why do you care?" Blurted Sasuke, not really thinking about what he was saying. The question the blonde had asked him had thrown him off.

Something clenched in his stomach as the peaceful blue eyes hardened in a flash.

"Well sor—ry! It's not like I care if you were hurt anyway!" A grating sound filled the blonde's voice, making it seem almost gravelly. The change from his earlier tone was so drastic that the only reason Sasuke knew it was the same voice was because they were the only two people outside. Sasuke frowned, glaring at the blonde boy who remained unaffected, a stubborn look stuck on his face.

"So what were you doing here anyway?" The question was so unexpected Sasuke couldn't answer at first. The blonde's eyes locked on to his and he blurted out an answer.

"It's my favorite thing to do. Lying here makes the world feel like more than just a place for people to be," Sasuke's eyes widened as he heard himself tell the truth. Slight confusion entered the blue eyes as their owner thought about Sasuke's answer. "Tch. It's not like you'd understand, idiot,"

"Hey! Dad says that's a bad thing to call people!" Blonde eyebrows slanted dangerously over the sky-colored eyes as the kid frowned. "Especially your brand-new neighbor!"

Sasuke's ears perked at this information. He remembered hearing his mother saying something about the other half of the duplex being sold but not really caring at the time.

"Neighbor?" He confirmed a note of dread in his voice.

"Yep! My name's Uzumaki Naruto! What's yours?" the frown had fallen from the kid's face, replaced by a grin so brilliant it caused Sasuke to stop breathing. The sun on its brightest of days couldn't even hope to match this light.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he said simply. His brain couldn't produce anything better in front of that smile.

"Alright, Sasuke! So… do you wanna play with me?" Naruto asked with such enthusiasm Sasuke nearly had to take a step back. For some reason he almost wanted to play with the kid, but his pride stopped him.

"I don't play. And it's time for me to go," Naruto's grin slid slowly off his face, causing him to look so dejected Sasuke almost reconsidered his answer. He stood up and walked stiffly to his back door, feeling Naruto's eyes follow him closely.

"Ah good, Sasuke, you can set the table!" his mother said as he walked into the kitchen.

"Yes, mother," he said, attempting to distract himself from the thought of Naruto's sad eyes following him, watching him walk away.

Sasuke washed his hands after lunch, eagerly awaiting to return to his oak. The breeze had picked up slightly, bringing the temperature down a fraction. He hurried to the back door, opening it with too much gusto. His fingers smashed against the wall but he paid no attention as he ran outside, only to freeze in his tracks.

His most favorite place in the world was already occupied.

Blonde hair swayed gently in the wind, surrounding the peaceful face of Naruto as he lay beneath the oak tree. His eyes were closed and lips pulled into a small smile.

"HEY IDIOT! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Sasuke yelled, furious at someone for stealing his spot.

"Sasuke?" Naruto asked, cracking his eyes open a tiny amount.

"WHO ELSE?" Sasuke fumed, marching over to where Naruto lay.

"I was just trying to figure out what you meant earlier. Sorry," Naruto said quietly as Sasuke stood above him, seething with anger. "Hey Sasuke? Yo—your hand's bleeding!" Alarmed, Naruto sat up and grabbed the injured hand. The knuckles were raw and bloody, the skin torn from where Sasuke had hit the wall.

"So? It doesn't really hurt," Sasuke lied in a small voice. It actually hurt quite a lot since Naruto had brought his attention to it. Naruto's eyebrows rose as he detected Sasuke's lie.

"Dad says it may not hurt now, but it will later if you don't get a band-aid! Come on!" The grip on Sasuke's hand tightened and suddenly he was being pulled toward the other half of the duplex.

In a matter of minutes Sasuke's knuckles were washed and each one had its own colorful band-aid.

"Hello Kitty?" he questioned, staring at the pink band-aids with apprehension.

"Dad says only real men wear pink!" Naruto explained proudly. Sasuke was beginning to believe Naruto's dad was slightly insane. Speaking of which, the house seemed rather empty.

"Naruto? Where's your family?"

"Oh, it's just my dad. And he's gone all the time,"

"Oh," Sasuke felt almost guilty. He could tell Naruto really looked up to his father, even though he was never at home. On the other hand, Sasuke's family was always home and he couldn't stand them.

"Hey, Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you, um, wanna play now?" Sasuke didn't look at Naruto as he blushed in embarrassment. He flicked a glance at the blonde and stopped. The brilliant smile was back, somehow even brighter than before.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Naruto yelled in excitement and ran out the back door, leaving a stunned Sasuke behind. "Come on, slowpoke!" he heard Naruto yell from outside.

Slowly a grin spread over his Sasuke's face, happiness bubbling in his stomach.

"I'm coming, idiot!!"