Naruto's P.O.V.

I looked in the mirror at my scars. They spelled out the name of the one I loved the most...but he never knew. I had his name written across my chest. It's been 3 years since I last sae him...he's grown a lot. Not just physically, but mentally. Emotionally, he's still immature, but then again, what do I know? I'm just a dobe, right? Just an usuratonkatchi who was pining for his teme...knowing deep in his heart that his best friend will never come back. I go out into my bedroom and stand on my bed, looking out my window. It's a full moon tonight...I couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, he's looking at the moon too. I look down at the now empty streets of Konoha and sigh. There's not much else to live for with him gone. Tsunade-baa-chan says that I should just get over him and find someone else to fill the void. She's still Hokage, but not for much longer. She asked me if I still wanted the job earlier today...I didn't say yes or no.

"I'll think about it..."

Truth be told, I haven't given much thought to the matter. A while back, when he was still here, being Hokage was the only thing I ever dreamed about...but now...I wiped away a tear and lay back on my bed. I didn't cry out loud anymore. Any time I cried it was only a few silent tears. I haven't really let go and cried in going on 4 years. Stupid teme, his emotionlessness is rubbing off on me. I don't laugh, unless I force myself to, I don't cry...I haven't really smiled in ages. Kami above, I just miss him. I couldn't tell you the last time I slept...I've given up on sleeping because every time I do, I dream of him, and the life we could have had if he hadn't left. Nobody says his name around me anymore...actually, I haven't heard his name spoken aloud in a while...unless you count Kakashi-sensei asking if there was anything new about his whereabouts. There's always nothing. Always. I smile in spite of myself. He is a splendid ninja to evade sight and capture for so long. I actually applaude him on that. I feel my eyes closing despite my trying to stay awake...I curl up on my side, away fron the window and delude myself into thinking that I heard my window open.

"Naruto."

I didn't recognize the voice. It was a little rougher, more mature than my own. I feel a hand rest on my shoulder and I open my eyes faintly. It's definitely a male voice...I close my eyes again and shrug the hand off. It was probably Kakashi-sensei or someone checking up on me...even though I knew that it wasn't my sensei's voice. The bed creaks as someone lays down behind me.

"Usuratonkatchi."

My eyes snap open and I try to turn around but the person is forcing my to face foreward.

"Don't look at me, Naruto."

I don't know why I do as he wishes, but a part of me is telling me not to upset them. Whoever it was, they wrapped their arms around my middle and rested their chin on my head. My eyes fall closed again as I feel the rise and fall of the person's chest on my bare back...then it hits me that they too are bare chested...to a certain degree. I can definitely feel cloth there, but there's a large portion of chest that I can feel too. It suddenly dawns on me who I know that wears clothes like that...but, it can't be him, it just can't be...I can only see the ceiling out of the corner of my eye which irritates me...I wanted to show myself that I was dreaming, that of all the people in the world, it wasn't him who was holding me like I was made of porcelain, holding me like a lover would. Because, he didn't know the way I felt about him. At least, I don't think he did...no definitely not. For one thing I don't ever remember actually telling him how I feel...although, my actions the last time I saw him were enough to tell him...Kami I hope not. He would hate me. This person's fingers run over the scars on my chest and I hiss as they're rubbed against. They're not full cuts...just scraping, but they're still sensitive to the touch and still open, like sores. The hand freezes in the action of touching my scars and pulls back. I hear a sharp intake of breath and look down at my chest. The scars are still oozing blood and there's a line where some was pulled off of the path of the scar. 'Shit,' I think to myself.

"Close your eyes."
I do as I'm told, feeling the butterflies in my stomach. I know what he's going to do, but I can't let him see them. He sits up and tried to catch a glimpse of them, but I roll onto my stomach and say,

"I can't see you, then you can't see me."

There's a silence that rings like a thousand church bells before he utters just one word.

"Dobe."

I gasp and almost succeed in turning my head to look at him.

"I said, don't look at me."

I whimper and face my door again. It was definitely him...but that voice in the back of my head was telling me that this was a trick of some sort...probably just Kiba playing a trick on me...yes, that would be it.

"Let me see...please."

All right, that seals it, it's definitely not who I'm wishing it was because the teme I know would never in his life utter the word please. I close my eyes, gulp, and turn onto my back. There's a pause, then another sharp intake of breath, a little louder this time. His fingers run over the edges of the scars and he traces the name that is cut into my chest.

"Wow...I never knew."

I turn my face away and let the silent tears fall. For I had just recognized his voice and realized that it is him...there's no one else it could be. The tears fall thick and fast onto my pillow and I feel his fingers on my chin. He turned my face towards him and wipes away my tears. My eyes are still closed due to the fact that I no longer want to see him laying there. If I see him, then he'll just disappear, and I'll never see him again.

"I'm not worth crying over, dobe."
I swallow again and reply,

"Yes you are."
He traces my lips with his thumb and I feel him bend over me. The surprise of what he does next very nearly forces my eyes open. He kisses me. Soft and chaste, but a kiss all the same. A kiss very unlike the one that we shared back in our academy days...I press back a little hesitantly and my heart soars when he doesn't pull away. He nips my bottom lip gently and I allow him to enter. He's very skilled in the art of kissing, running his tongue over my gums and the roof of my mouth. It puts me in heaven. All too soon though, he pulls away and I hear him panting. Apparently, there was a lack of oxygen while we were kissing and I find myself panting too. Our breathing slows back to its normal pace and I smile in spite of myself. Not one of my fake smiles that I show to everyone else, but a true, genuine smile. Now I wish I could see him. I hope he is smiling too...He runs his fingertips over my abdomen and I pull in my stomach a little. I can feel the calluses on his fingertips from weilding the katana that he uses...yes it's most definitely him.

"I love you, Naruto."

The force of that statement really does force my eyes open. I look at him for a slpit second before hastily turning my face away. My breathing picks up again and I feel the tears form anew and fall fast onto my pillow. He was going to leave, all because I couldn't control my eyes. He turns my face around again and said,

"Again with the tears? Damn Naruto when did you get so emotional?"
I swallow and say,

"It's been building...over the years."

He runs his fingers over my cheek and says,

"You can look at me now."

"No."

My answer seems to surprise him until he replies,

"Why not?"
I gulp and answer,

"Because you'll leave again."

He sighs and kisses me again. There's a little more pressure behind this one, but I was too dense to see what it meant. When he pulls away, he says,

"Would I be doing this if I was going to leave?"

"Tch, don't as me to fathom the way your mind works."
He laughs a little bit and says,

"Wow, you really are a dobe..."

"Baka teme!"

I turn my whole body around and face away from him. There's a slight pause, then he says,

"If you'd rather that I left, then I will."

I turn around and bury my face in his neck.

"NO! Please..."

He strokes my hair and says,

"Relax, I'm not leaving...not now, not ever."

I pull my face back and open my eyes. I look up and see him smiling at me with that cocky grin of his. I touch his face and say,

"It's really you then? I'm not dreaming, right?"
He gives a real, genuine smile and says,

"No, you're not dreaming."

I smile and pull him down to kiss me again. This was real...most definitely real. We kiss with a frenzy like never before and when he pulls back, he says,

"I'm here to stay...if you still want me."
I grin and reply,

"Baka, of course I still want you."

He smiles again and kisses me softer this time. I pull back a little and say,

"I love you too, Sasuke."

Fin

A/N: Whew! That was one of my longer ones. It took me nearly 2 hours to write it and it's still too effing short! Grrrrrrr...(vampire blood taking over)

Gaara:-kisses authoress-

Sand Baby:-snaps out of trance and kisses back full force, knocking both authoress and Gaara backwards onto the floor. Sits up and looks into his eyes- I love you.

Gaara- I love you too...-looks at the screen- read and review if you value your life.

Sand Baby:-fangirl squeals and nuzzles into his neck- you're so cute when you're being evil.

Gaara:-blushes- just say good-bye to the nice readers, koi.

Sand Baby: Oh right. -looks up at screen too- Ja ne people!