Warnings: Yaoi / boyXboy / slash. Call it what you want. Don't like it? Don't read it. You've been warned.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, sadly. But how I wish I did…

This is dedicated to Tanzinite firephoenix, simply because I can and because I love her story, Of Wolves and Blood.

Walking Home

It was a usual day for Naruto, sitting at his desk as time ticked by, waiting until he could finally leave the office and head home. He was eager to go home and relax, having had enough of work for one day. When the time came, he gathered up what he needed and pulled on an orange sweater before heading out, grateful that the day had gone by quickly. When he stepped out into the street, the first thing he noticed was a tall, dark haired man leaning casually against the side of a nearby wall. He was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, which was inappropriate for the cold evening weather, and he was staring into space as if nothing around him existed. As Naruto walked past him, however, the stranger inclined his head in greeting. Naruto inclined his head in return and carried on walking, putting the scenario out of his mind. It wasn't a long walk home, only a few blocks, and he passed by one of his favorite coffee shops along the way. Often he would go in and have a cup, or maybe order a meal when he felt too lazy to cook, but tonight he just wanted to get home and sleep. When he entered his apartment building he turned to look back at the street, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. He quickly went up to the seventh floor and into his apartment, ready for sleep already.

The next day, as he was entering his office building, he saw that dark haired boy again. As there was now more light now, Naruto could get a proper look at him. He was still wearing the same clothing as the previous night, and now Naruto could see that his pale skin was nearly flawless and almost translucent. His dark hair fell casually in front of his eyes, making him sweep it back with a careless brush of his hand every few minutes, and he had deep, dark eyes. The boy was looking straight back at Naruto, and after a minute he offered a small smile and waved. Naruto waved back uncertainly before adjusting his orange fedora and going in to work. All through the day the strange boy kept cropping up in his thoughts, and he couldn't place why. When he was done for the day, he found the wall bare of anyone, and sighed to himself, hoping that the strange incident had been a one time thing. The next day, however, the boy was back. This time, as Naruto walked past him on his way home, the boy greeted him again, commenting on the weather.

"Not so bad for this time of the year." He said, his voice light and clear.

Naruto shrugged. "It would be nice if it were a little warmer."

The boy smiled and shrugged. "I suppose it would."

The boy then wandered off, leaving Naruto to his usual routine. He next day the boy was absent again, but the day after he was back. Once again he greeted Naruto, and this time fell into step beside him as he walked. Naruto began to feel uneasy and quickened his pace slightly, but the boy made no effort to keep up with him. At the end of the street, they turned in separate directions. Naruto looked up when he heard the dark haired boy wish him a pleasant evening, and saw a faint smirk playing about his lips. There was nothing malicious in his expression, but it clearly showed that he knew what Naruto had been thinking. Chastising himself for his judgment, Naruto continued home. When he arrived for work the next morning he didn't see the boy anywhere, but he had a feeling that he hadn't seen he last of him, which proved true when it came time to leave for home.

As Naruto exited the building and began walking down the street, he saw that dark haired boy leaning against the wall, smirking his confident smirk at the blonde.

"Evening." The dark haired male said in a light tone.

Naruto simply inclined his head and carried on walking, hoping that the raven haired male would leave him alone, but he had no such luck. He heard footsteps behind him, and initially thought nothing of it, but when he turned at the end of the street and still heard the boy following him, he began to worry again.

"What are you doing?" he asked, trying not to sound too suspicious.

"Going for a walk." The dark haired boy replied. "Is it a crime?"

Naruto just shook his head and carried on walking.

"So what do you do in that huge building, anyway?" he heard the boy ask.

"I'm an accountant." Naruto replied shortly.

"Accountant? Wow." He made a low whistling sound. "I could never have done that. I don't work well with numbers."

Naruto didn't answer him, but he doubted the boy expected an answer anyway.

"Why do you always wear something orange?"

"It's my favorite color." Naruto replied shortly, picking at the sleeve of his bright orange shirt self-consciously.

"Ah. I like blue, myself."

Silence fell, and they continued walking. Every so often the dark haired boy would ask a completely random question, which Naruto would answer irritably, then they would fall silent once more. Naruto noticed that the boy didn't seem to have any particular direction to walk in, choosing instead to go where ever Naruto was going. Eventually, Naruto started to become nervous, thinking he was going to be mugged.

"Not to be rude, but where are you going?" he asked suspiciously.

The boy shrugged. "Nowhere. Just following you, I guess."

Naruto's eyes widened, and the boy laughed.

"Quit worrying. If I was going to pull a stunt, I'd have done it in one of the alleys we've walked through, don't you think? Nah, I'm just looking for someone to talk to."

Naruto frowned, not entirely believing him, but continued to walk. When he turned into his apartment building, he expected the boy to turn around, but he didn't. He walked with him into the foyer, and up to the elevator.

"Well, it's been great." He said as the elevator doors slid apart. "See you around."

And with that, he was gone, leaving Naruto very confused and subconsciously grasping his wallet tightly.

The next night was normal, but the one after that he ran into the boy again as he left his office building.

"Fancy running into you here." The boy greeted. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and began to talk, with Naruto not paying much attention to him, and again he left Naruto at the elevator doors with a simple "Goodnight," called over his shoulder as he left.

After four nights of being followed home, Naruto was beginning to become familiar with the routine. He would leave work, find the boy waiting for him, and they would talk while Naruto walked home. Well, the boy would talk, but Naruto was slowly warming up to him as well. He noticed, however, that he evaded questions to do with himself, turning them on Naruto instead and staring with an expectant look.

On the fifth night, Naruto left the office in a terrible mood. He barely registered the boy, didn't even acknowledge him, and just walked. When they arrived at the apartment building, the boy made the mistake of asking why Naruto was so sullen.

"What the hell?" Naruto yelled, attracting several stares. "I don't even know you. Don't you have anything better to do than to follow me home every night like some stray dog?"

The boy flinched visibly, taking a step back, and Naruto instantly regretted his outburst.

"Why do you follow me home every night, anyway?" he asked, his voice lower and slightly apologetic. The boy gave him a blank stare before turning on his heel and walking out of the building without a backward glance.

The next night, it was raining heavily. Naruto opened his umbrella as he stepped out of the office, noticing that the boy was absent from his usual spot. For a moment he was irrationally worried that something had happened to him, but quickly dismissed the thought. After turning the first corner, he found himself facing the boy again.

The boy nodded faintly, but made to move around Naruto.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you." Naruto said, surprising himself.

"It doesn't matter." The boy replied, still trying to get around him. Naruto blocked his path again.

"Not in the mood for company tonight?" the blonde asked.

The boy shook his head. "Not really. Just want to get out of the rain, ya know?"

Naruto nodded and allowed the boy to pass him, but a moment later he heard a sigh behind him.

"Let's go, then." The boy muttered, walking behind Naruto once more in his usual way. Naruto didn't know why, but he found that he missed the boy on the nights when he didn't see him. The conversation was light that night, and Naruto was doing his best to contribute to it rather than let the boy talk endlessly. When they reached the apartment, Naruto folded his umbrella up and looked at the boy, who was wearing nothing but a thin sweater and jeans, shivering and dripping in the foyer.

"Do you want to come up for a cup of coffee and warm up a bit?" Naruto asked kindly, but the boy smiled ruefully and shook his head.

"I'd better not. I'll see you around."

He was about to walk out when Naruto came up behind him.

"Hold up." He said softly. "Look, I'm not trying to be judgmental, but why do you walk me home every night? Why aren't you off doing something else?"

The boy avoided eye contact before muttering something.

"Pardon?" Naruto asked, leaning closer.

"Because I have no where else to be." The boy said through gritted teeth. "And no where to go. I have no one to talk to, and you looked interesting, so I thought I might try to get a daily fix of conversation."

He tried to leave again, but this time Naruto stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait, what do you mean by, 'no where to go'?"

The boy shook his hand off. "Exactly what it sounds like. I don't have a home."

Again he tried to leave, and again he was stopped.

"Look," the boy said heatedly, his face red with embarrassment, "I'm not looking for a hand out, or sympathy, or pity, okay? All I wanted was some damned conversation cuz I'm sick of being alone. I'm sorry for bothering you."

"You didn't bother me, really." Naruto said quietly. "I just didn't understand."

There was an awkward moment of silence, before Naruto offered coffee once more.

"I have to go." The boy said, walking out into the rain. Naruto felt a sinking feeling, thinking that he had pushed the poor kid away when he had no one, but a ghostly voice called out from beyond the hazy rain, making him smile in spite of himself.

"See you tomorrow night."

The next evening, Naruto exited the building a little earlier than usual, hoping to see the boy again. And sure enough, there he was, leaning against the wall in the heavy rain, his sweater clinging to his thin frame and his hair plastered to his face.

"Hey." Naruto greeted.

"Hey." The boy replied.

They started walking again, and Naruto turned to him.

"You can share my umbrella, if you'd like." He offered. The boy grunted and moved under the sheltering fabric with a muttered, "Thanks."

"What's your name?" Naruto asked.

"Sasuke." The boy replied. "Yours?"

"Naruto." The blonde replied. "I don't mean to be pushy, but since you've already told me that you're homeless, would you mind telling me more about yourself?"

There was a stretch of silence, followed by a muffled grunt.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I'm nineteen years old. I'm homeless and have no job. I ran away from home a year ago when my father nearly beat me to death for being gay, and I've been wandering around the city ever since. That's all there is to know, really."

Naruto's eyes widened, surprised by the bluntness in the boy, no, Sasuke's tone.

"Sounds harsh." He murmured. "Why didn't you go stay with a friend?"

"I did, at first." Sasuke replied, staring up at the sky. "But after he found out the reason for me running away, I had worn out my welcome. The word spread fast after that, and soon there was no one I could turn to."

Naruto nodded. They were passing the coffee shop, and the blonde suddenly had an idea. He grabbed Sasuke's wrist and dragged him inside, under much protest.

"I want some coffee." Naruto said. "And since you're hanging out with me, you're coming too. That's what friends do, right?"

Sasuke seemed to quiver for a second, seemingly on the verge of walking away until the gravity of Naruto's words hit him. He had called them friends.

"I don't have any money, remember?" Sasuke said bluntly. "I can't afford to buy coffee, and I'd prefer not to sit and watch you drink it."

Naruto waved his excuses away and dragged him over to a table. A plump woman came to take their orders, and Naruto asked for two cups of coffee, and the food menu. Sasuke glared daggers at him until the waitress left, then leaned forward.

"I told you, I don't want any hand outs or pity."

Naruto shrugged. "I'm not pitying you at all. And this isn't a hand out for the poor. This is me, hanging out with a friend. This is how things work with me."

"I can't pay you back." Sasuke stated.

"I don't care." Naruto countered. "Look, be honest here. When last did you have a descent meal, Sasuke?"

Sasuke frowned, then answered quietly.

"A few weeks ago. Mostly I live on scraps."

Naruto nodded. "This isn't pity. But you need this, so don't complain, okay?"

Sasuke looked like he would very much like to retort, but bit his tongue.

"Thank you." He ground out, although he really was grateful.

They talked over their coffee and food, and Sasuke walked Naruto home, getting there much later than they usually would have.

"Well, goodnight Naruto. And thanks again. You were right, I really did need that."

Naruto smiled for a second, but it was short lived. "Where do you go at night?"

Sasuke shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "An alley a few blocks away from here, not far from where you work."

Naruto nodded. "I thought so" Then an idea struck him. "Why don't you spend the night here?"

Sasuke looked very uncomfortable, and Naruto quickly made to correct his mistake.

"Alright, sorry, I can see that idea doesn't sit too well with you. But it's an open offer, okay? Any time you don't want to go to that alley you mentioned, you can come here. That sound good?"

Sasuke thought about it for a minute before nodded. "Thank you. I'd better go; this rain isn't going to let up any time soon."

"See you tomorrow?" Naruto asked, and Sasuke nodded, a faint smile on his lips.

Naruto found that he was quickly becoming obsessed with Sasuke. His mind kept wandering back to the pale skinned boy, eking out a miserable existence in an alleyway, and found that he very much wanted to help him. He knew, however, that Sasuke would be difficult about it, thinking it was a handout. Naruto was resolved, though, to do what he could. That night, he would take Sasuke to the coffee shop again and talk to him about it, and see if he could persuade him. First, however, he needed to do something. Calling in his secretary, he started asking questions about job availability in the building, and what would be required to secure a job for someone with very little in the way of qualifications. It turned out that there was a good offer in the department beside his own, and Naruto eagerly called the manager, explaining the situation earnestly.

The manager didn't seem too thrilled by the idea of a homeless kid working in his department, but Naruto was adamant, insisting that if any harm came from it, he himself would take full responsibility. The manager finally agreed, but there was one problem. Sasuke needed a home in order to even apply for the job.

"He gets a place to stay and the job is his, okay?" the manager said, and Naruto grinned.

"Great. Thanks a whole lot. I owe you big time."

That night, when he found Sasuke waiting for him he walked faster, eager to talk to him. Earlier in the day he had come to terms with the fact that he was attracted to the raven haired male, and had decided to take matters into his own hands. Even if Sasuke wasn't interested, he would at least know that his sexuality wouldn't be a problem.

"Hey Sasuke!" Naruto greeted enthusiastically. Sasuke looked somewhat taken aback by the greeting, but smiled and said hello.

"Let's get to the coffee shop." Naruto said. "I need to talk to you, and I'm starving. And I'm sure you are too. No complaining, okay?"

Sasuke, who was about to complain, bit his lip and nodded, uncertainty in his eyes. The walk was quick, and soon they found themselves sitting at a table in the warm room, sharing a jumbo sized plate of nachos.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Sasuke asked quietly, not sure what to expect. Considering the kind treatment he didn't think he was about to be told to leave the older man alone, but he could never be sure.

Naruto nodded, swallowing a bite of his food. "Yeah. There're three things that we need to talk about."

Sasuke nodded, showing that he was listening.

"Okay, but please remember that none of this is out of pity, alright?" Naruto said. "This is just because I wanted to do this, not because I felt sorry for you."

Sasuke began to fidget with the tablecloth, and he nodded slowly.

Naruto smiled again and started. "Okay, first of all, there's a job offer for you in the department next to mine. It's nothing overly grand, but it's something that will let you earn your own money. I've already spoken to the manager and the job is yours."

He waited for a moment for Sasuke to reply. For a while Sasuke merely gaped at him, mouthing soundlessly. Naruto suspected that he was about to lose his temper, and quickly moved to stop that.

"Not pity." He reminded him. "I just wanted to help you out, and if I can, then why not?"

Sasuke nodded, small tears forming in his eyes. He blinked them away.

"I don't know how to ever repay you." He said, looking down at the food.

"Just take the job, that will be great." Naruto replied with a grin.

Sasuke laughed softly, grabbing another nacho. "So what's the second thing?"

Naruto's grin fell a little. "Well, um, there's one hitch with the job. In order to work there, or almost anywhere in the city, you need to have a postal address, which means you need to live somewhere. Now, don't get mad at me, but I was wondering if you would move into my apartment with me. I have a spare room you can take."

Sasuke's eyebrows raised so high that they nearly vanished into his hairline. "What?"

Naruto flushed, but carried on. "You need a place to stay, and I'm offering you a room. It doesn't have to be forever, you can leave any time you want to, provided you have somewhere else to go, but I'd also appreciate the company there. You're not the only one that likes some conversation."

Sasuke felt more tears coming and forced them not to show.

"I don't think this is a good idea, Naruto." He said slowly.

"Why not?" Naruto asked, frowning deeply.

"Because you don't even know me."

Naruto scoffed. "Sure I do. You're Sasuke Uchiha. You're nineteen and have nowhere to live. You're father is a douche and your friends were all backstabbers. You've had a hard life and need a friend to help you out of the rut you're stuck in, and believe me when I say that I consider us friends. Oh, and your favorite color is blue."

More tears, only these couldn't be contained.

"Okay, but I don't know you…"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I graduated from the local community college and started working as an accountant and got myself an apartment not far from here. I'm twenty-three years old, and my favorite color is orange. I snore, though not loudly, and have only a few select friends around here, as I'm not overly social unless someone catches my attention. I'm addicted to coffee, and love playing playstation. My favorite food is ramen. See, you know me better than any of my colleagues do already!"

Sasuke gave a teary eyed laugh. "You win. If you're sure, then…"

Naruto nodded firmly. "I'm dead sure."

"You said there were three things…?"

Now Sasuke was confused. This man had gotten him a job, and offered him a place to live, all without batting an eyelash, but suddenly he became restless and fidgety, his cheeks flushed and glancing at him nervously.

"I um…" Naruto said, mumbling something under his breath.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I think you're attractive." Naruto said, blushing crimson. "And I'd like for you to consider becoming my boyfriend at some point in the future, if you like me too. I know this is all coming a little fast, but I just wanted to get it out there. You can take your time to think about it."

Sasuke was floored. He was stunned into speechlessness, and simply nodded with wide eyes. Naruto seemed a little reluctant to talk after that, so Sasuke forced his confusion back and tried to start normal conversation again.

When they left the coffee shop twenty minutes later, Sasuke was still stunned. He expected to wake up back in the alley and find that this was all just a dream. Or maybe that Naruto was playing a cruel joke on him. But it seemed that the blonde man was completely sincere in his words, and Sasuke couldn't believe it was happening to him. When they arrived at the apartment, Naruto smiled at him.

"No alleyway, okay?" he said sternly. "You agreed to live here, so you will. Starting now. So, let's go home, shall we?"

Sasuke became hesitant. "I don't know about this, Naruto… This is really sudden."

Naruto glared at him. "You can't sleep in a damned alley anymore, Sasuke. You have a home now. Granted we'll need to get you a bed and some bedroom furniture, but you're going to take my bed until we get around to that. My couch happens to be rather comfortable, so I'll be good there."

Sasuke shook his head. "I'll come up, but I've got the couch. I'm not kicking you off your own bed."

"I usually land up sleeping on the couch anyway." Naruto argued, but Sasuke folded his arms stubbornly. "Alright fine. The couch is yours."

Sasuke smiled. "Deal. Now let's go up, the foyer is a bit chilly."

It was true. After the days of steady rain the air was bitterly cold at night. They entered the lift together at took it to the seventh floor. Once there they walked down a long hallway until they came to Naruto's door. He turned the key in the lock and pushed he door open, switching on the lights as he did so.

"It's not much," Naruto stated, "but its home."

Sasuke smiled softly. The apartment was tasteful and welcoming, and he already felt at home.

"Its perfect just like this. Thank you Naruto, for everything. I owe you more than I could possibly say."

"You owe me nothing." Naruto replied, glad that Sasuke seemed happy. "Shit happened, and now its time to turn it around."

Sasuke laughed. "Oh yes. It's definitely time."

It was late at night, and the wind was howling outside. Some time during the night the rain had started up again, and the temperature had dropped considerably. Naruto curled up tighter under his blanket, listening to the sound of the wind.

There was a light knock on his bedroom door, and Naruto looked up as Sasuke came in, a blanket draped across his shoulders.

"Naruto? Are you awake? I need another blanket, it's gotten colder than I expected."

"They're in the cupboard in the hallway." Naruto replied. "But why don't you just get into bed here with me? My room is warmer than the living room, and I promise to behave myself."

Sasuke laughed. "I'm not worried about you behaving. I'll warn you now though, I like to cuddle in my sleep."

Naruto grinned. "Awesome, body heat."

Sasuke quickly jumped onto the bed, throwing his blanket over them and snuggling up to Naruto for warmth. Naruto recoiled slightly at the icy feel of Sasuke's skin, but relaxed as he started to warm up.

"I was thinking about what you said earlier…" Sasuke said.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. And I, um, I do like you too. I have from the first time we met. So yes, I'd like to be your boyfriend…"

Naruto smiled and moved his face closer to Sasuke's brushing their lips together. He kissed him gently, feeling Sasuke's cold lips heat up, and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Let's get some sleep." He suggested. "Tomorrow is going to be a big day."

Sasuke pulled Naruto close and kissed him one more time.

"I can't wait."

The End