Warning: Does contain shonen-ai aka boy's love. If this offends you, then please leave now.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Those rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Viz/Shonen Jump.
AN: Yay I'm not dead! And I'm back in a somewhat writing mood! XD Hope you all enjoy this sequel to 'Dream and Nightmares'.
It had been two years since he'd been in this place. And then the last time had not been a pleasant experience.
"So why the hell am I here?" Naruto looked in wonder at his two friends.
"Cause this the only karaoke bar around here that sells ramen." Hinata replied. Over the last two years Naruto had been away, Hinata had grown more confident. This came in due part to the fact that she and Kiba were married now.
"Oh yeah, you're right." Naruto replied as he laughed sheepishly.
"C'mon, our table's read." Kiba looked from his wife to his friend. They sat and placed their drink orders.
"So Naruto, you never did explain why you wanted to come visit."
"I can't come to see old friends? Especially when they're expecting a baby?" He grinned at the couple and Hinata smiled gently as she rubbed her stomach. She was due almost any day now.
"You're right." she told him.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, our next singer!" The waitress walked out with their ramen moments later. Naruto soon became distracted by food as the song started.
A voice, low and clear sung a slow tune and Naruto's ear perked up. The voice sounded familiar.
Just as he was about to turn and look at the singer Hinata pointed something out on the wall beside them.
The song continued. Kiba and Hinata were facing the stage and had seen Sasuke as soon as he stepped up.
Soon the song ended and the music slowly began to fade until silence was left, which was shortly replaced by clapping. The host reappeared on stage and told the crowd, "How was that everyone? What a wonderful rendition of "Come Back to Me" by Utada Hikaru, given by our very own weekly regular, Sasuke Uchiha!"
The crowd continued to applaud. Naruto's head whipped around at the sound of Sasuke's name. His eyes met the raven's face.
Within moments the raven's eyes met the blond's. Both looked at the other in shock.
Sasuke stepped off the stage and walked over to Naruto. Once he got to their table though, words failed him.
Finally he found his voice. "Naruto."
A slight twinge of pain raced across Naruto's eyes at the mention of his name.
He looked away from the raven and Sasuke cleared his throat.
"Of course." he said taking Naruto's silence as his way of telling the raven to leave. He turned to walk away but felt a hand grab his wrist. A voice followed.
"Wait..." Naruto whispered and Sasuke turned back to face him.
"Naruto?" Hinata asked watching the two of them stare at each other.
"Ca..." Naruto started to say, hesitating for a moment. With his hand still on Sasuke's wrist he turned to face Hinata. "Can you leave us alone?"
Kiba and Hinata looked at each other and looked at Naruto. They nodded and stood. Hinata walked away and Kiba looked at Sasuke glaring at him. Sasuke looked at Kiba.
Kiba stalked away and Sasuke sat across from the blond.
He cleared his throat and looked at Naruto.
"How have you been? Naruto asked him.
Sasuke chuckled. "Lonely. Depressed. Feeling guilty. You?"
Naruto looked at the table quietly. "I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?" Sasuke asked curiously.
"I overreacted." Naruto kept his head lowered at the table.
Sasuke reached over and lifted Naruto's chin. He looked him directly in the eyes. "No you didn't. I wasn't ready, you were definitely right about that. I'm the only one that needs to be sorry." Sasuke smiled weakly trying to cheer the blond up.
He pulled his hand away. "So what about you? How have you been?"
Naruto's eyes filled with tears. "I've missed you so much Sasuke."
Sasuke's smile went from forced to genuine. "Me too." he replied quietly.
After a moment Sasuke asked the one question he'd wanted to say since Naruto left originally. "Can you give me another chance?"
Naruto wiped the tears from his eyes and held out his hand. "Of course."
Each smiled at the other.
~X~
Naruto waved over at Kiba and Hinata and they walked back over to the table. Sasuke shifted to the other side.
Kiba glared at Sasuke the whole time. "So why is he still sitting here?" he asked accusingly.
"I'm giving him another chance. Now be nice." Naruto told him.
Kiba huffed in annoyance. "Fine."
Hinata poked her husbands cheek, breaking the tension and laughter replacing it.
Hinata smiled at the two people sitting across from her.
"This is just like old times..." Her smile softened as the laughter quieted. "I know it'll still be tough for a little while between you two, so I think Kiba and I should head home and let you two talk some more. Besides I'm getting so tired." she said faking a yawn.
Kiba looked at her and nodded, glad to be getting away from Sasuke. Naruto may have been giving him another shot, but Kiba wasn't gonna get over what happened so easily. After Naruto left Sasuke he'd become depressed and withdrawn, exactly the opposite of how he normally was. It'd been Kiba's suggestion that he move away, telling the blond that maybe he needed a change of scenery.
He voiced his thoughts out loud as Hinata walked over to the cashier to pay for their meal. "Sasuke, I'm telling you now, if you break his heart again I will kill you." He smiled at Naruto and walked away, leaving Naruto happy for having time to reconnect with Sasuke, and Sasuke with hope for the future.
~X~
The two were now on their way home. Sasuke had told Naruto that he'd escort him back to the Inuzuka residence.
"You know Sasuke, something's been nagging me at the back of my head. It might just have been the shock of seeing you again though..."
"What is it Naruto?" Sasuke asked curiously, looking down at him. The were walking arm-in-arm, the only physical contact they'd had other than before Kiba and Hinata had left.
"Well I think when the announcer said your name, he said you were a weekly regular...but you don't sing. That's why I didn't recognize your voice at first."
Sasuke smiled gently at the blond. "After you left, I stopped going out and drinking, so I needed something to do every week. Instead of going out to the club like normal, I started going there. At first it was because it served your favorite ramen, but then it turned into an outlet for me to share my feelings. If my week was crappy I'd sing something more upbeat to make myself happier. If my week had been depressing as all hell then it'd be a slower song. Tonight's song was actually perfect for how I was feeling. Part of the lyrics go, 'Baby come back to me, I'll be everything you need, baby come back to me, boy you're one in a million.' They couldn't have been any truer to how I've felt since you left."
"Oh Sasuke..." Naruto's eyes filled with tears yet again. Seems like he'd be crying at some point tonight..."So you really haven't had anything to drink since then?" he wondered.
"Once. The date we had set for the wedding."
Naruto couldn't take it anymore and tears fell down his face. "Sasuke..."
"Don't worry about. If I hadn't of given up drinking, I wouldn't have been in that karaoke bar tonight and I wouldn't have found you again." he said smiling sweetly.
Naruto leaned up and kisses Sasuke. Both new they never wanted to let go of the other again.