I don't own Naruto.

Sasuke. The wind was blowing through his hair and Naruto could tell that he had changed. He wasn't the child he remembered. He watched him, looking into his eyes felt like hearing the sound of broken dreams. They were so much colder, like something had dropped away from them. Naruto wished he could have been there when his eyes had died so he could have made them flare up again.

Sasuke said his name and he remembered that voice. When he was talking it was like being reminded of long forgotten songs - but the black-haired boy couldn't smile and Naruto couldn't really smile either. He was different and he had let Naruto down in a way only he could.

Sasuke had an ability to reach into him and light up emotions stronger then the power of a thousand suns. When it was pain, it was a sweet pain. And Naruto had gotten used to that sweet pain.

The way he felt that time two years ago when he left – was not much different from the way he felt when he came back.

Rays of sunshine made their way through the kitchen window of Naruto's cheap apartment, they shone down on Sasuke's lithe form in a way that made him look angelic. His pale skin almost sparkled and his lips had a color like the sweetest blood.

Ever since Sasuke had returned, he had acted strangely. He didn't smile much and he could stare at walls while Naruto yelled franticly to break through the barriers that he constantly built around himself.

He hardly spoke to anyone and rarely looked anyone in the eyes. A few weeks ago he had been found lying on his bathroom floor amongst broken pieces of mirror. Naruto had practically forced him to move in with him; he was tired of seeing his friend break down into pieces. Ever since, he had cooked his food, bought him clothes, and even shaved him.

He could see it in his eyes sometimes, even though he never told him how he appreciated Naruto's efforts – that he needed him. Sometimes he would notice his dark eyes looking his way, but when he looked back Sasuke would turn, like he was trying to hide something.

Naruto shifted his gaze from Sasuke's red lips to the green grass outside the window. The dark haired boy never really agreed to go out. But when he convinced him, he would lie in the grass and watch the sky for hours.

He could feel the stare once his eyes drifted away, but he kept his gaze out the window. Naruto felt annoyed and he wished he would tell him what was wrong, he wished he would trust him enough to finally talk to him, but Sasuke wasn't like that. He sighed and turned his gaze back to the boy in front of him who looked away immediately.

"You should eat up Sasuke."

Said boy watched the food on his plate and then slowly brought another forkful of food up to those blood-red lips.

They slept together for the first time that night, Naruto and his best friend. He thought that maybe he was so tired all the time because he didn't like sleeping alone. At least it would be worth a try, he knew Sasuke wouldn't care that friends weren't supposed to share bed. He didn't care about anything these days.

Naruto fell asleep almost right away, he didn't even feel like trying to talk to Sasuke – it would just frustrate him further because he never got a real response anyway.

He woke up in the middle of the night to strange sounds coming from the other side of the bed. He could hear Sasuke breathing fast and loudly, almost hyperventilating. At first Naruto just frowned and closed his eyes again to ignore it, thinking it would pass, but the sounds wouldn't stop.

Eventually he turned around and noticed how Sasuke had squeezed his eyes shut, his hands were fisting the sheets and he was almost covered in sweat.

Naruto immediately sobered up from his sleepiness and brought out a hand and grasped a trembling arm worriedly.

"Sasuke?" He said in a voice that was slightly hoarse, as he had just woken up. Sasuke wouldn't stop shaking and Naruto felt panic well up inside of him. He shuffled closer and grasped the trembling boy's other arm, almost hugging him as he kept repeating his name along with soothing words.

Eventually the frantic breathing ceased and black eyes shot open. Naruto could only distinguish one single emotion in them, and it was fear.

"Sasuke … It's me." He whispered and shuffled even closer. He tightened his grasp around him, trying to soothe him the best way he could. He had no idea of what was going on, but as the other boy calmed Naruto felt the panic dissolve, but worry took its place.

Sasuke just stared at him, as if he had no idea where he was or what was going on. Naruto looked back while brushing the skin on his arm in soothing circles.

"Hey … it's okay, … I'm here." He said, and kept stroking his fingers back and forth along pale skin until the dread in his friend's eyes finally began to fade away. The regular unreadable look took its place until he almost frowned.

"I'm fine." He said in a barely audible voice, keeping his gaze fixed on the blonde. Naruto knew that he was lying, he wasn't fine; it had almost been like he was dying. He was fading away more and more every day.

His thoughts were interrupted however, as Sasuke struggled a bit beneath him. It wasn't until then that he realized the compromising position they were in. He was laying half on top of him, one leg stretched out around his waist and his arms surrounded the other boy in a tight embrace, sweat-soaked skin was pressed tightly together as they laid there breathing and staring into each others eyes.

Naruto shifted to get away but Sasuke gripped his shoulder before he had a chance to turn. The way he had reached out his trembling hand and the way his eyes changed made him seem almost desperate.

"Please stay." He whispered quietly.

And Naruto did, he reached his arm back around him and once again embraced him tightly. He felt a sudden calm spread through him as he settled his face against Sasuke's shoulder, inhaling his scent and rubbing his hand back and forth his arm.