Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, damnit. Shounen-ai abound.
Summary: He had nothing left to lose. He reached the bottom of the barrel, and in some ways it was a great comfort. There was, after all, nowhere lower he could sink to. He had reached rock bottom. SasuNaru.
Love, and All That Jazz
He used to wonder if he would ever be loved.
It was stupid really, because he should've outgrown that bit of insecurity by now. He had long accepted that he would never have the kind of unconditional love that most people had by virtue of being born. He grew up lonely and unloved; but then, so did so many other orphans. Of course, none of them had the Kyuubi sealed in their belly buttons so at least in that respect they were one step above him, when all is said and done.
Ironically though, he loved.
Konoha.
Iruka.
Kakashi.
Tsunade.
Jiraiya.
He loved so deeply, so completely that it made others' declaration of love a sheer mockery; a travesty of nature. He picked up the shattered shell of his heart, and from the remnants created something even more spectacular than before.
Ramen.
(Oh God how he loved ramen. No amount of words can describe the unreserved adoration he had for it.)
Others let their broken heart turn to dust, swept up by the wind and washed away by the rain until there was nothing left, only an empty space where happiness should have been.
Others built walls so high and impenetrable to hide their trampled hearts and leave it to wither and die until all that remained were bitter emotions and sullied memories.
But not him. No sir, he refused to wait for chances or Fate to decide. Fate had made him what he was today – left behind, refused, cast aside.
Unwanted.
Forgotten.
The possibility of things turning his way was almost always nonexistent, especially considering how fucked up the way Fate had treated him. No, if it was change that he wanted, then he had to grab it with his own two hands.
He had nothing left to lose. He sank to the bottom of the barrel, and in some ways it was a great comfort. There was, after all, nowhere lower he could sink to. He reached rock bottom. And in it he saw stability, for there was no way he could be more despised, hated, reviled than he was. All he had to do was look up and climb.
High above, where there was light and happiness and acceptance.
Soon, there will be birds and sun and clouds as he ascended the peak.
Soon enough.
Common sense dictated that it was impossible. But he persevered, giving out his love to everyone and everything that he felt needed his love, his attention – whether it was solicited or not.
Soon, he was no longer alone.
Soon, he was cherished, loved.
It seemed like a dream, where everything was right and good with the world. Where the Kyuubi was nothing more than a minor inconvenience rather than a bane to his existence.
Sakura.
The innocent crush turned into a delightful and precious friendship. They had endured much, him and Sakura. Their attachment seemed ridiculous and unbelievable considering its inauspicious beginnings. But it did flourish, and like many a great things connected to him, it came out of utterly absurd conditions.
Sasuke.
Hate. Rivalry. Friendship. Loathing. Companionship. Jealousy. Finally, love. So much love. Theirs was a tumultuous bond. Complicated, painful, awkward, beautiful, encompassing. A spectrum of emotions, all the bad and good colored their relationship. Nothing was easy, yet everything was. The intricate dance and heady clashes and thorny courtship made it impossible for them to be anything but feel. It was littered with heartache, not to mention headache for everyone else within range.
In the end it was worth it.
In the end, it was just Naruto and Sasuke.
Simple as that.
Looking at his lover's content sleeping face, dark hair mussed and frown missing, he smiled.
He no longer wondered if he was loved.
He knew.
Fin