"I don't think you want to come in today." The woman said nervously, giving the boy a taut smile. "He's a difficult patient."
"There's no such thing as a difficult patient. They're people who just want someone there." was the response, followed by a bright smile.
The woman sighed, giving him the clipboard to sign his name and pointed him in the correct direction. Waving, he walked down the familiar corridor, waving to some of the nurses that walked past, eventually catching up with the doctor.
"I thought I told Shizune to tell you not to come today." Tsunade grumbled, peering at the boy over her clipboard.
The boy frowned, crossing his arms. "Why would I not come in? Everyone deserves a visit from me!"
The woman shook her head, motioning for him to follow her. They walked towards the end of the hallway and rounded the corner, coming to a dead end corridor with one door. She stopped outside, turning to him.
"Look, he's been difficult. He hasn't been eating, he's attacked some of the staff and we have to keep a close eye on him because he tries to harm himself."
"What happened?"
"Suicide attempt. He was in a brothel although he claims to have never had sexual relations with anyone. He attempted suicide and one of his co-workers dragged him out into an alley and called the police. He has no family and from what I can see, he's got severe trauma." She searched the boy's face for fear or regret, sighing when she found none. "He's draining."
"What I don't understand is why you think isolating him is going to do him any good." The boy responded with a layer of hardness to his voice. The woman frowned at him. "Look, you're only a volunteer here. Your job is to come in and help my patients feel better. Besides, my specialty aren't trauma patients. I do surgeries and those kinds of things. Don't judge me." She ticked off a couple of boxes on her clipboard before looking back up at him. "Be careful and don't push him, unless you want a black eye."
The boy rolled his eyes and Tsunade took a deep breath, unlocking the door and pushing it open for the boy to step in.
The room was almost empty, save for a bed and a small table beside it. There was no window in the room, but what caught his attention was the man sitting on the edge of the bed, his back facing him.
He knew that black hair. He was always good at spotting it out in the crowd because it stuck out like a sore thumb for being so black it looked blue.
"Hey, Sasuke."
The man was still for what felt like an eternity before he turned his head to look over his shoulder. Still had the same, black glare.
Except his eyes were empty. Emptier than he remembered.
The voice was hoarse. Scratchy. Foreign, and yet so familiar at the same time. "Naruto."
His eyes traveled to his wrists, wrapped in bandages. His hands covered in bandaids. A device strapped around his ankle.
Naruto took a step forward. Sasuke's black eyes remained fixated on him, empty, lifeless, cold, unseeing and seeing. They never broke away from his as he rounded the bed, coming over to stand beside him. "Long time no see."
"Stop wasting my time and get out."
"Okay. But first, why don't you eat-"
"I said get out!" He caught the fist that came towards his face, holding it tightly as he felt Sasuke struggle against him, his arm trembling.
His hand was bony and cold. Nothing like the hand he had held in their youth.
Sasuke glared at him and he suddenly stood up, his forehead slamming against Naruto's painfully and he grimaced, his other hand moving up to clutch his head as he sat back down with a groan. Naruto ignored the pain and let go of Sasuke's fist, watching as the man clutched his head, low groans escaping him. He glared back up at him again with hate in his eyes. "Get out."
Naruto remained in the same spot. "Not before you eat," then he added, "And I won't leave until you do, so don't try and argue with me."
Sasuke scoffed. "Quit being annoying."
Naruto chuckled, sitting down beside him, but leaving enough space to not upset the boy any further. "You've always been so stubborn."
"Why are you here?"
Naruto stretched, yawning. "I volunteer here a few days a week. I was told that there was a newer patient so I came in."
"Volunteer for what?"
"I cheer people up!" Naruto grinned and Sasuke rolled his eyes. "God, that is so you. You make me cringe."
"Hey, someone needs to smile in this messed up world!" Naruto protested, nudging Sasuke. The man didn't react to the touch; he stared down at his bare feet, his eyes clouded and distant. "Messed up world, hm…"
Naruto glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. He had lost so much weight. His cheeks were sunken in, there was a dark rim around his eyes that indicated his lack of sleep, his lips were dry and cracked, his skin was so pale he looked sick. Even his hair hung limp.
"Well! Let's get you into another room, then." Naruto jumped up, startling Sasuke and he put his hands on his hips, a big smile on his face. Sasuke looked at him like he was stupid. "I'm not supposed to leave this room, idiot. This shit will go off." He shook his foot, referring to the device around his ankle. Naruto shrugged. "It's depressing in here! Come on." Without waiting for a response, he grabbed Sasuke's arm and pulled him up, mentally shocked at how thin and fragile it felt. Sasuke began cursing up a storm but Naruto ignored him, dragging him out. He continued to ignore the ridiculous beeping that came from the device on his ankle as soon as they stepped out into hallway. "Idiot!" Sasuke hissed, trying to plant his feet to stop the blond from pulling him.
Naruto continued until he found an empty room down the hallway and he walked in, dragging Sasuke over and sitting him down. Sasuke glared at him, his face red from embarrassment. "You're so stupid."
Tsunade burst in with a group of nurses, her face twisted in fury. "Naruto, you fool! What the hell do you think you're doing!? We thought he had gotten out!"
"I'm treating him like a patient, not a prisoner." Naruto replied, earning himself a slap across the face from the woman that was so hard he stumbled back into Sasuke.
Tsunade was furious. "You don't get to make these decisions, you brat! He-"
"-is my friend, and deserves to be treated as such. Grandma Tsunade, you can be mad all you want, but you can't be unethical." Naruto replied coolly, rubbing at the red mark on his face where he had been slapped. He looked at the nurses cowering behind Tsunade, who averted their eyes when he glared at them. Tsunade looked like she was ready to beat the shit out of the blond when Sasuke's glare caught her eye.
"I'm hungry."
A few of the nurses began murmuring to each other in surprise and excitement and anticipation at the prospect of having their most difficult patient finally eat something. Tsunade glared back at him, her mouth pursed together tightly as a faint smirk appeared on Sasuke's face. Making a loud sound that was unfit for a woman of her caliber, she whisked around and stormed away, snapping at the cowering nurses to get him food. They scurried out after her, the murmuring increasing.
"Jeez, she may be old, but she still hits pretty hard!" Naruto complained once they were alone, rubbing his cheek with a pout on his face. Sasuke's expression was unreadable as he observed the blond. "You're still as stupid as ever."
Naruto ignored the insult and sprawled out on the bed, stretching and yawning. "Man, I'm so beat! I got up pretty early to go to work…"
"Work where?" Sasuke asked, making a face at him as the boy made himself comfortable. Sure, they had known each other in their youth, but did he not remember what happened the last time they had seen each other? How could he act like nothing had happened?
"I work in an office. I mainly do all the filing stuff though because I didn't go to college after graduating high school so I can't do any of the other jobs with better salaries…" He said the last part sheepishly. "I also help out in the Yamanaka flower shop-remember your fangirl Ino?-yeah, her family's shop! She just got married not that long ago to a friend of mine named Sai and she's actually pregnant! Wow, time flies…" He stared up at the empty, white ceiling, his blue eyes nostalgic.
"Did you ever get with Sakura?" The question made the blond turn red and snorted. "Nah, she never thought of me that way. She's still in love with you."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Well, she's going to die alone, then."
Naruto ignored his comment and continued his conversation. "I've actually been...um...on a few dates with another girl...remember Hinata? Hyuuga Hinata? She used to have really short hair."
Sasuke looked at him incredulously. "Stalker Hinata? Wow, who would've thought."
"She wasn't a stalker! She was just really shy!" Naruto protested, his face red. "She actually works here at the hospital...Sakura-chan does, too! She's on vacation, though."
"I don't care about Sakura. I'm shocked you even considered looking at Hinata." Sasuke snorted, making Naruto frown at him.
As if on cue, a soft knock came from the door and at Naruto's 'Come in!', a girl stepped in with a tray. Her face immediately became red when she saw Naruto and she quickly averted her eyes, staring down at the tray. "H-Hello! I-I've brought you some food, Sasuke-kun."
Judging from Naruto's own red face, Sasuke made the immediate connection in his brain that this woman was the one he had been talking about. She looked nothing like the girl he remembered. The woman standing before him now was petite and slender, with very long, dark hair, wearing lavender scrubs that clung to her body snugly.
She was cute.
Sasuke adjusted into a comfortable position and she set the tray up in front of him, sneaking glances at the blond through wispy bangs and long lashes, biting back shy smiles and treating him gently at the same time.
As she was about to pull away, Sasuke's hand shot out and he grabbed her wrist, holding it tightly and pressing his thumb against the delicate vein, feeling as it immediately began to beat faster and the alarm crept into her eyes. She gave him a nervous smile. "D-Do you need anything else, Sasuke-kun?"
Naruto was fuming beside him as he leaned towards her, close enough to feel her shaky breathing on his face. "You've got an eyelash on your cheek." He blew gently and her face flared a bright red. He let go of her hand and giving him a quick bow without looking at Naruto, she hurried out of the room, sliding the door shut behind her.
Naruto was grinding his teeth. "Oi, what the hell?"
"She's cute." Sasuke smirked, turning his attention to the food on the tray in front of him. Naruto clicked his tongue. "You don't have to flirt like that."
"Hey, you never said you two were dating." He grabbed the warm cup of miso and took a tentative sip, peering at Naruto over the rim, who glared at him. The blond muttered, "I'm surprised you're interested in girls. We all thought you were gay for a long time."
"I never said I was or wasn't interested in girls." Sasuke smirked as he took another sip, watching as Naruto pursed his lips together tightly in an attempt to stop himself from saying something unpleasant. He let out a sigh after a while and scratched his head before laying back down on the bed next to his feet.
"You cut your hair." Sasuke muttered, poking at the rice on the tray absentmindedly with a spoon. Naruto touched his head as if trying to reassure himself of the fact before nodding. "I cut it a couple of months ago. I figured I needed a change."
"Makes you look manlier."
Naruto snorted, stretching again and yawning. Sasuke noticed his orange t-shirt lift up as he stretched, the flash of hard muscle on his abdomen dealing a blow to his conscious. "Still doing martial arts, hm?"
"I have to keep myself busy somehow." Naruto murmured, flipping onto his stomach and letting his arms hang over the edge of the bed, his voice muffled. "It's been some tough years."
"Tch." Sasuke leaned back against the pillow, crossing his arms. "Tough? You don't know tough."
Naruto didn't respond and it only irked him further. "How can you just come in here like nothing ever happened?"
"It's in the past. You disappeared and I couldn't track you down anymore."
"I didn't want you following me!" With a sudden motion, he knocked over the contents on the tray, leftover soup and rice and vegetables flying everywhere. Naruto didn't even flinch.
"You didn't let me do what I wanted...you ruined everything!"
"I wasn't going to let you kill your brother!" Naruto spat back, jumping up and going over to grab Sasuke by the shoulders, who glared at him. "He was forced, remember!? It was your parents or you, and he chose you!"
"Shut up! You don't know anything!" He squirmed, trying to free himself from Naruto's tight grasp to no avail. He spat in the boy's face but Naruto remained unfazed. After a while, he slowly let go and took a step back, shaking his head slightly. "I heard about Itachi...the needle they used was infected and he later got AIDS, didn't he? I'm really sorry."
Sasuke looked away, crossing his arms. "Get out."
"I don't care about our fight in the past, Sasuke. I just want you to know that I'm here now and I won't let you be alone anymore."
"Get out!"
Without another word, Naruto turned and headed out, sliding the door shut and leaving Sasuke to cry out the immense pain he had been bottling as soon as he heard the boy's voice say his name less than an hour ago.
"A-Are you okay, Naruto-kun?"
Naruto snapped out of his thoughts, blinking at the girl in front of him, who looked at him with concern. He let out a sigh, rubbing his temples. "Yeah...sorry, Hinata. I was just lost in thought."
"About Sasuke-kun?" She said softly, poking at her noodles without looking at him. He remained quiet for a bit before grunting, "Mm. Do you know what happened to him, Hinata?"
She looked uncomfortable and her nervous habit of shifting indicated so. "I-I'm not supposed to say-"
"Please. He's my friend, Hinata. I want to help him." He knew she was a kind soul, one of the kindest people he had ever met and she wouldn't deny his request. A part of him felt bad for taking advantage, but the desperation he felt was stronger. She bit her lip and then looked around nervously before leaning forward. "He was in a brothel in the neighboring country. Tsunade-san said he attempted suicide...h-he slit his wrists, but a co-worker found him. He dragged him out into an alley away from the brothel and called the police...he was in their hospital until he was stabilized and then they flew him here after he was identified…" She shook her head slightly, letting out a sigh. "Poor Sasuke-kun...he has severe trauma and depression...and it manifests in anger and he explodes when we try to approach him. I don't blame him...his family killed by his brother and then to leave and work in a horrible place like that…" Her voice trailed off.
Naruto sighed, his appetite gone. "Itachi was obligated...the city council was so corrupt back when it happened and they threatened all of his family. Later, he was going to rat on them and they infected him...infected him, Hinata. Sasuke must have found out. He's devastated."
Her eyes were rimmed with tears. "Poor Sasuke-kun...I wish we could have done more to help him. He needed love and proper care…"
"I could've done more and I didn't. I didn't."
"Don't feel like that, Naruto-kun. You were both so young…"
Naruto sighed, leaning back against his seat and staring absentmindedly at his food. "I'm not hungry anymore." Hinata gave him a sympathetic look before politely calling a waiter over.
As they walked back to the bus station, Naruto felt Hinata brush against him gently and her warm hand suddenly touched his, startling him. She blushed, averting her eyes. "Um...t-thank you for joining me tonight, Naruto-kun...I-I enjoy my time with you always."
Naruto scratched his head, feeling slightly self-conscious and he chuckled. "No problem, Hinata. I like hanging out with you."
His comment made her blush a bright red and she hid her smile in the warmth of her jacket.
Sasuke was right. She was cute.
She was cute and kind and gentle and thought highly of him. He didn't need to look elsewhere when everything he could ever ask for was right in front of him.
His hand found her soft cheek and he gently raised her face to look up at him. Her lips were soft when he kissed them and they tasted like vanilla. Her skin was warm, her hand gripped the sleeve of his jacket slightly and he could feel her fingers shake.
When he pulled away, her face was flushed and her eyes hooded, a sound of protest escaping her and then she hid her face in his chest in embarrassment when he laughed.
"Let's date, Hinata."
She looked at him with wide eyes, and then they began to water and she squeezed them shut, pressing her hands to her face to hide her tears. "Ah...I-I'm showing you something embarrassing…"
"I hope they're tears of happiness." He snickered, taking her warm hands and pulling them away to reveal her beautiful face. She nodded, blinking rapidly as a few more tears escaped and then she smiled down at their hands. "P-Please take care of me, Naruto-kun."
His kiss confirmed it, and then they were running down the path when they saw their bus approaching.
"Get out."
"You say that to me every time I come in here and I don't leave, so I don't know why you continue to say that." Naruto said with a shrug, going over to sit on the bed. Over a month had passed since he had first been reunited with his old friend, and his plea felt more like routine than genuine. Sasuke sighed loudly, leaning back into his pillow and closing his eyes. "I hope that you'll listen one of these days and finally leave me alone."
"I don't want to leave you alone. I want to be by your side." Naruto replied, giving Sasuke a small smile and the man looked away with a grunt, hiding under his long fringe. Naruto reached out, brushing the long hair that hung over Sasuke's left eye to expose another black iris. Frowning, Sasuke swatted his hand away. "What are you doing, usuratonkachi?"
"Nothing. Your black eyes are just so fascinating." Naruto snickered and Sasuke's frown only intensified. "Eat shit."
The door opened and Sakura popped her head in, her expression carefully guarded and her smile taut. "Hello Sasuke-kun-"
"Nope. Get the fuck out. You're the last person I want to see."
"But Sa-"
"Get out!" Grabbing the pillow from behind his head, he lunged it at her and she quickly closed the door, the clicking of her heels quickening as she hurried away. Naruto glanced at Sasuke. "You don't need to be so mean to her."
"She's so goddamn irritating. She doesn't get the hint." Sasuke spat, crossing his arms. Naruto sighed and got up, going over to the window to observe the flower pot he had brought in two weeks ago. "Hm, it's growing rather nicely."
"I can't believe growing plants is still your thing." Sasuke muttered and Naruto smiled at him over his shoulder. "I'm surprised you noticed it was my thing in the first place."
He saw the color rush to Sasuke's face; the man quickly looked away. "Idiot."
The soft knock indicated that Hinata had arrived with his food. She walked in, giving Naruto a shy smile before going over to him, setting down his tray for him and even though he gave her props for hiding it, she was still wary around him after his weird behavior the first time he had seen her. She gave him a quick bow and another smile for Naruto before leaving.
Naruto was radiant, and it pissed him off.
"Have you two had sex yet?" Sasuke asked nonchalantly before eating a spoonful of rice. Naruto choked on air. "W-What!? That's none of your business!"
"Hn. I'm gonna guess no. She seems like a prude, anyways." Sasuke took another sip and Naruto glared at him. "Look, you can insult me, but don't insult her."
"How noble of you." Sasuke replied, smirking against the rip of his cup and he took a noisy sip of tea to irk the blond further. "You're really patient, aren't you?"
"Shut up."
"Is she one of those girls who want to wait until they get married?"
"Just drop it!" Naruto hissed. Sasuke held his glare with a smug look on his face. "Ah, you're still a virgin, aren't you?"
"So are you."
"Are you stupid? I worked in a brothel."
"Yeah, but you're not one to be interested in those kinds of things."
Sasuke was quiet before he returned to his lukewarm tea. After a while, he murmured, "Maybe I'm just waiting for the right person."
"You're not going to get with anyone if you keep pushing girls away."
"Who said it has to be a girl?" His black eyes met his blue ones; there was a long stretch of silence that ensued afterwards as Sasuke returned to his food, this time actually finishing everything on the tray.
"Ne...what did you do there, then?" Naruto asked quietly, waiting for the boy to explode into a fit of rage at the incredulous question. Surprisingly, his reaction was calm. "I arranged...dates, if you will."
"Between men and women?"
"Between boys and men."
Something in his tone indicated that he wasn't joking. Sasuke was silent as he stared out the window, his eyes distant and his face suddenly looking tired and old. Naruto decided to pry further.
"Did you get raped?"
"Raped?"
"That's what that is. It's rape. Boys can't consent because they're not adults."
Sasuke was silent and after a while, he shook his head slightly. "I ruined a lot of lives."
Naruto let out a low sigh. "Your own life was ruined." When Sasuke looked at him, he quickly added, "I'm not blaming you for anything. You are also a victim, Sasuke."
"When I first arrived there, I was set up with an older man. A man from the council." Naruto saw him clutch the sheets around him so hard that his knuckles became white. "And I was filled with so much hate...he started to take my clothes off and I began resisting. He started beating the shit out of me. Touching me where I didn't want to ever be touched. I reached for a vase and broke it over his head, then I grabbed a shard of glass and killed him."
Naruto dared not open his mouth in that moment. Sasuke looked down at his hands, his expression blank. "Orochimaru had to cover up the murder. Blamed it on the mafia. It made sense since the mafia already had problems with the council. I told him if he ever tried to force me with someone, I would kill them and him." He leaned back against the pillow, staring at the wall with an expressionless gaze. "He had me recruit boys off the streets so that they could be set up with men. Boys my age, boys that were younger, boys that were older. I still hear their cries…" His voice trailed off, and he looked down, his hair falling forward like a curtain to hide his face. "Many of them got sick...and then I found out Itachi had been infected when he tried to track me down and rat on the council…" When he looked up, the raw pain in his eyes almost made Naruto look away. "I managed to sneak out once and visit him in the hospital. He told me that he loved me...that he would always love me-" His voice was cut off by a silent sob and he rested his forehead against his knees, his body shaking violently.
Naruto immediately leaned forward, wrapping his arms against him and pulling him into a tight embrace, letting the man break down.
It felt so strangely familiar even though he had never held Sasuke in such a manner. As children, he had envied Sasuke. Always popular, smart, cool, respected. They practiced martial arts at the same place, went to the same school. He always saw him as a rival, but as they became closer, he found himself reflected in the boy. He was alone and angry and sad on the inside, just like him. He felt Sasuke's pain. He understood Sasuke's pain. He knew what it felt like to go home to an empty house, to eat alone, to play alone, to read alone. To walk alone. When Sasuke came into his life, he began to feel happier and hopeful about the future. He began to study more. He thought about his future and in it, he always saw Sasuke.
That is, until Sasuke became obsessed with finding his brother and killing him for murdering their parents.
Naruto felt the boy slipping away from him, becoming colder and bitter. It frightened him and he desperately tried to reach out. Unfortunately, they came to blows. Actual blows, and Sasuke managed to stab him in the middle of their fight and left him there. Naruto tried to track him down for years to no avail and eventually settled on waiting.
Until he found him a mess in a mental hospital in Konoha.
"I want to be alone, Naruto." His voice was hoarse and muffled against his chest. Naruto rested his cheek against Sasuke's head for a few moments before letting go of him. "Why don't you take a bath first and then I'll leave?"
Despite the bloodshot eyes and tears, Sasuke frowned at him. "Are you saying I smell?"
Naruto snorted in amusement. "I think a bath will help you relax and sleep."
Sasuke sighed after a few moments and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't think I've slept in a long time."
"Come on. I'll help you if you don't want the nurses touching you." Naruto stood up, offering his hand. Sasuke gave him a sly smile. "Why don't you tell your girlfriend to come wash me?"
Naruto dropped his fist not-so-gently on Sasuke's head, causing the man to grunt in response. "I was just kidding. Jeez…" He took Naruto's hand and they made their way out into the hallway and headed towards the bathroom. Naruto murmured to one of the nurses that he would help Sasuke bathe, and she gave him a worried look before nodding and then hurrying off to probably tell Tsunade.
Naruto tried to give Sasuke privacy to undress, only to be met with a snort of contempt. "You said you'd help me bathe so why bother giving me 'privacy'?"
"Tch. Whatever." Naruto muttered. He was taken aback when Sasuke pulled his shirt off to reveal a protruding spine through pale skin. Everything was thin and weak; his legs, his ankles, his feet. He must have been staring hard because Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him. "Like what you see?"
Naruto huffed at him, trying to ignore the heat that creeped into his face. He grabbed the shower head and making sure the water was warm, he let the water run down Sasuke's back first before bringing it over to his head to soak his hair.
"Hm...eucalyptus? This might help you sleep." He said as he read the label of one of the shampoo bottles he had found. Sasuke shrugged and Naruto reciprocated, squirting a dollop onto his hand and then massaging it into Sasuke's head, making sure to be gentle as he watched the suds form.
"You're going to get wet, dobe." Sasuke muttered, his head lowered and his eyes closed. Naruto smiled. "It's fine. I'll just change later. Also, your hair has gotten so long! And it's so soft…"
"Weirdo." Sasuke huffed with slight amusement, sighing as Naruto's fingers worked the shampoo into his hair.
"My back hurts if I stand." Naruto complained, crouching down to be at level with Sasuke. He reached for the shower head again and let the water rinse away the suds. He handed a clean loofah to Sasuke to let him scrub at his body, bringing the shower head over when he finished an area to wash away the soap.
When Naruto reached across to wash away soap on Sasuke's left shoulder, the man suddenly leaned forward, pressing his lips to Naruto's exposed neck. With a jolt, Naruto pulled back, accidentally spraying Sasuke in the face. "Oi."
"W-What the hell was that for!?" Naruto stuttered, feeling his face become hot as he glared at Sasuke. There was no response, but his black eyes held his stare. He couldn't break away from his gaze, almost as if he were in a trance. His face was inches away.
He was beautiful.
"Sasuke." Naruto murmured and he felt himself mechanically lean forward until he could feel Sasuke's breath on his face.
He came to a sudden halt when he realized his Sasuke's lips were only millimeters away. Pulling away in shock, he gaped at the man, who raised an eyebrow at him. "Can I have the shower head so that I can finish?"
"Y-Yeah…" Naruto stammered, shoving the shower head into Sasuke's hand and then announcing louder than he needed to that he would wait for him by the toilet.
Shit, shit, shit. What the hell was that!? What was I thinking...what was I about to do!?
He hadn't even realized Sasuke was standing in front of him in fresh clothes, a towel around his neck. "I'm done, usuratonkachi. Can we go back now or are you going to take a shit?"
He's acting like nothing happened...am I the weird one here!? Naruto ignored the comment and led him out of the bathroom and back down the corridor to his room.
"I need to g-"
"I know." Sasuke responded curtly without looking at him as he climbed into bed. "Bye."
Naruto immediately took off with only one destination in mind.
"Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, surprised, as she opened the door to her apartment to see the blond standing outside. "What-"
Her voice was cut off as Naruto suddenly kissed her, taking her into his arms and closing the door behind him. Her voice was muffled against his mouth and she tried to push him away but his grip tightened as he walked her over to the cream-colored sofa, pushing her down and his lips breaking from her mouth to move down to her throat, her collarbone.
"W-Wait, Naruto-kun...w-what-" A gasp cut her off as his hand slipped underneath her sweater and trailed up her abdomen. On reflex, she kneed him in the gut and he groaned, backing off and clutching his stomach. She quickly sat up, curling into a fetal position at the end of the couch and looking at him with alarm and discomfort on her face. "W-What has gotten into you!?"
Naruto realized the situation he was in and he clutched his head with his hands, shaking it in embarrassment. "Shit...I'm so sorry, Hinata. I just...I don't know what I was thinking."
Slowly, she crawled over and tentatively reached out to touch his arm. "I-Is everything alright?"
He glanced over at her. She was wearing a soft, light pink cable knit sweater and comfortable shorts and fuzzy socks, her pale legs exposed. Her hair had been pulled back into a low bun to expose her neck. Her face was flushed.
She was beautiful, and he was attracted to her...right?
It's not like he didn't dislike what had just happened. Her skin was soft and her scent enticing. He was definitely attracted to her.
"Hinata, let's have sex." He said, his hand touching her cheek. Her eyes widened and she blushed a bright red. Shit, you're not making this any easier.
"N-Naruto-kun...w-what are you saying? We've only been dating for a month…" She shrunk back when he leaned towards her. "I-It's not proper…"
Naruto sighed and leaned back against the couch, draping an arm over his eyes. "Gah, you're right, Hinata. I'm sorry. I said something embarrassing...didn't I?" He chuckled nervously and she repeated the same. An awkward stretch of silence ensued for a while before Hinata cleared her throat and said, "I-I'm just scared…"
"Scared?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and from where he was sitting, Naruto could see her fingers were shaky. "I-I have no experience...I'm the only person from my friends who is still a virgin…" She added the last part in a quieter voice. Naruto heard. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and began to shift uncomfortably. "I-I like you a lot, Naruto-kun...you're the only person I've ever liked...but I wouldn't want to disappoint-"
"No. You could never disappoint me, Hinata." He reached out and took her hand, giving her a small smile. "I have no experience either, you know." Her eyes widened slightly and then she quickly looked away, blushing as his thumb gently stroked her knuckles. "Ah...I see."
There was another stretch of silence and Naruto decided to inch closer to her, his other hand moving up to touch her cheek and turn her face so that she could look at him. She averted her eyes bashfully, gnawing on her bottom lip relentlessly.
"I want to...with you. But only if you are willing to do so as well." Naruto murmured, pressing his forehead against hers. Her face became red and she mumbled, "I...I want to. I just don't know what to do...don't we need, um, protection?"
Suddenly feeling embarrassed, Naruto smiled sheepishly and dug around in his pocket. "I actually brought some...hehe…" Her face was beet red and she hid it in his chest. "T-Then I suppose...um, p-please be gentle?"
His lips found hers and before he could even think straight, he had pinned her down again, his mouth on her chin, her throat, her collarbone. Her hands fumbled with the zipper on his jacket and his cool hand slipped underneath her sweater again. He was pulling it off almost immediately and his brain kept screaming at him to slow down; her face was flushed but every time he looked at her, at her parted lips, he only wanted to quicken the pace. It was a good sign...right?
She let out a gasp when he pressed his lower region close to hers and his mouth began traveling from her throat to her collarbone and then lower-
When he looked up, he nearly choked on air.
Black hair? Black eyes?
He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head vigorously. No. It was still her. He was imagining things.
But why was he imagining things?
Feeling a sudden burst of irritation, he clamped his mouth over hers again, muffling her cries when his fingers slipped into her shorts.
Where was her lavender scent that was so typical of hers? She smelled different and so strangely familiar.
He broke away and his eyes widened. "Sas-"
Her cry startled him and she suddenly pulled away, shoving him away with her hand. "N-Naruto-kun...you're hurting me!"
"S-Sorry!" Naruto leaped off, his eyes still wide. She was holding her sweater close to her chest, looking down in shame. "M-Maybe we can try another time?"
Feeling embarrassed and stupid, Naruto nodded without saying anything, reaching for his jacket and zipping it up. "Sorry, Hinata…I'll go now." He took a step backward, bumping into the coffee table and almost knocking the lamp over. He turned and ran out. Ran and ran, his breathing harsh and shaking his head furiously.
Had he really just been on the verge of calling her by his friend's name? Had he really just mistaken her for him? What was going on?
He found himself back in the hospital, where Shizune was about to leave her shift. She looked at him in confusion. "Naruto? What are you doing here?"
"I need to...I need to see Sasuke." He said, out of breath and sweating. Shizune gave him a funny look. "But you were just here not too long ag-"
"Shizune, please."
She bit her lip as she probably contemplated the consequences of any decisions she might take in that moment; in the end, she nodded and let him in. "Lock the door behind you when you're done. Jeez, Naruto, I'm really risking my neck for you here, you know."
"Thanks." He gave her a small smile before heading down the familiar corridor to Sasuke's room. He halted outside, his hand hovering as he contemplated his reason for being there.
Deciding to go in, he slowly slid the door open and lunged forward with a loud gasp, one hand grabbing Sasuke's hair and the other grabbing his shirt and he yanked back so hard, letting the man fall back on him.
"Let go of me!" Sasuke shouted angrily, kicking and punching. "Just let me go already!"
"No! I need you here, Sasuke! I need you here with me! Do you have any idea what would happen if you jumped out that window!?"
"Yeah, I'd finally be dead!" He spat, trying to wriggle out of Naruto's hold. "Let me go!"
"I don't want you to die, Sasuke…" Naruto was suddenly come over with emotion and he squeezed tightly, not even realizing that Sasuke had stopped moving.
"I know how you feel so well...I know it hurts." He buried his face into Sasuke's back, gritting his teeth to stop an oncoming sob. "I know it feels lonely and you feel like the world is against you completely...but you have me. I'm here. I'll never let you be alone, Sasuke."
There was a long stretch of silence as Naruto sobbed against Sasuke's back, clutching him tightly.
Sasuke huffed after a while. "Idiot...you don't have to cry." The emotion in his voice and the way his body shook indicated that he had also been weeping. Naruto slowly released his grip.
That is, until Sasuke turned around, his arms embracing the blond and he buried his face in the crook of his neck. Naruto inhaled his clean scent and could feel his heart beating loudly.
Luckily, Sasuke's own heart was beating against his chest.
"Let's get you to bed." Naruto murmured after a while, helping Sasuke stand up. The man held onto Naruto's hands and he sniffed loudly. Naruto bit back a laugh and Sasuke frowned at him. "What?"
"I feel like we're about to dance."
"Don't be stupid. Let go."
"No."
"Idiot, what are you-Hey!"
Snickering, Naruto put an arm around Sasuke's waist, his other hand holding Sasuke's and he spun, forcing the man to move along with him. Sasuke was an embarrassed, stuttering mess and with his free hand, he smacked Naruto's shoulder. "Oi, this is embarrassing, usuratonkachi!"
"Hehe...this is your punishment for scaring the shit out of me when I walked in here!" Naruto pulled him close, humming along to a classical song and moving his feet to the tempo he was humming. Sasuke turned his face away, frowning.
Naruto continued humming and eventually Sasuke began to relax, although his pout didn't disappear. "Oi, don't you find it weird that we're two guys and we're doing this?"
"We're slow dancing in the dark. It's not like anyone can see us and judge."
"The moon is watching."
"Hm...you remind me of the moon, so we can pretend it's still you."
Sasuke snorted and then started laughing. Naruto frowned at him. "What?"
"Are you going to pull something cheesy and say you're the sun, then?"
"Quit laughing!"
"Make me." Sasuke taunted with a sly smile, his faces inches away from Naruto's.
"I will." Naruto closed the gap, his lips finding Sasuke's and he held him close, waiting in anticipation for the man to curse at him and push him away.
It didn't happen.
Sasuke was still and Naruto was uncertain, until he felt Sasuke reciprocate, his lips moving harmoniously against his. It was an exhilarating feeling, and Naruto's grip around his waist tightened as he pulled Sasuke closer, the kiss deepening and becoming more enticing.
Sasuke broke away first, his breathing heavy and he pulled away when Naruto leaned in for another one. The look on his face was conflicted. "Naruto-"
"What is it?" Naruto murmured, his mouth close to Sasuke's ear. He gave props to the man for holding himself together.
Sasuke pulled away completely, taking a step back. "I'm tired."
Naruto averted his eyes, suddenly feeling a huge wave of embarrassment and shock come over him. "Hn. Yeah, I bet."
He had just kissed Sasuke. He had kissed Sasuke, and dare he say he had felt something, but reality was bitter.
"Let's get you into bed, then." Naruto mumbled, not looking up at Sasuke but watching his feet move as he walked over to his bed to lay down. After a few moments of silence, Naruto was about to leave when Sasuke's hand grabbed his wrist.
"Stay here," and then, in a lower voice, "I don't want to be alone."
The fact that he had been ready to leap from the window and plummet to his death right before he showed up was enough to convince the blond to stay with him. Sasuke made enough space for Naruto to lie down next to him and a long stretch of silence ensued. After a while, Sasuke turned onto his side, draping an arm over Naruto's abdomen and burrowing his face between his arm and the sheets.
"Naruto."
"Hm?"
"...Never mind."
He heard Sasuke's breathing deepen, indicating that he had finally fallen asleep, leaving Naruto to ponder.
What the hell was going on? First the shower thing, then his failed attempt at having sex with his girlfriend, and then kissing Sasuke?
He was terrified. Terrified because he felt torn. He liked Hinata. She was sweet and caring and beautiful and deserved the world.
Did he like Sasuke?
How could a simple bath cause so much conflict within him? He had even confused his girlfriend for the man, and it was embarrassing!
Or had it always been there, buried deep within his heart?
"Naruto-kun?" The soft voice and gentle shake woke him up and he opened his eyes to see Hinata staring at him with a carefully guarded expression.
Fuck.
Everything came rushing back into his mind, mainly because Sasuke's arm was still draped across his abdomen and his own head had been resting against his. Careful not to wake him, Naruto gently peeled the arm off and wriggled out, standing up and scratching his head. "L-Listen, Hinata...about last night-"
"L-Let's not talk about that right now, ne? I-It's not appropriate." Her smile was taut and awkward and she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "A-Although I'm a bit surprised to see you here...in your clothes from yesterday."
"I...um, I thought I'd come pay Sasuke a visit again last night." There was no point in lying to her, not with that expression she was making. It was thinly masked pain and embarrassment. She nodded, holding the clipboard close to her. "Um, well, I'll leave now. I'll be back later with Sasuke-kun's food."
"I'm actually leaving, too. I need to shower and I promised Ino I'd help. I'm off today at the office." He followed her out, glancing over his shoulder to see Sasuke still asleep before carefully sliding the door shut.
Hinata felt like falling into a hole and staying there forever. She had hoped that she wouldn't run into Naruto, not after such an embarrassing night. Would he be completely turned off by her? He hadn't seemed so in the morning, but he had been awkward and distant.
And cuddled up with Sasuke.
She shook her head vigorously. Naruto was Sasuke's only hope, and she had no right to feel insecure. Sasuke needed Naruto. Desperately.
She had let Sakura bring Sasuke his breakfast...only to have her get shoved to the ground and insulted by the angry man. She had ran out crying, cursing him for being awful with her and stating that she would never go back into that room ever again.
Taking a deep breath, she now stood outside the door, nervous about going in. She certainly didn't want to get hurt in the process, but Sasuke needed to eat. He had been doing a lot better than his first weeks at the facility and she was determined to help Naruto get the man back on track.
"Sorry for intruding." She said quietly, sliding the door open and stepping in, looking at the man who was sitting up against the pillows, staring out the window absentmindedly and calm. It was almost as if nothing had happened during breakfast, although the angry shouts that echoed down the corridor a few hours ago indicated otherwise.
"It's a bit cloudy outside, unfortunately. It seems like it's going to rain later." She mumbled, mentally reprimanding herself for being so cringy by bringing up the weather. Sasuke ignored her comment and turned his attention to her, watching her every move as she stepped towards him, setting the tray down so that he could eat.
"Do I scare you?" His question threw her off, and she could feel her hands become clammy. "I-I'm sorry?"
"Hm, don't worry. I'm not going to shove you like I shoved Sakura this morning. You're not annoying like her." A small smile appeared on his face and it made her increasingly uncomfortable. "Um...if you don't need anything else, I'll excuse my-"
"Stay here. I want some company." He stated curtly, pointing to the chair resting against the wall close to the door. Something in her brain was screaming at her to ignore his wish and walk out, but the more dominant part of her pushed it aside and obediently, albeit reluctantly, she got up and pulled the chair over to the side of the bed.
"Come closer. I don't bite." He grabbed one of the chair's legs and yanked, moving her closer and she bit back a squeak. For someone who looked thin and frail, he was strong.
She was silent as he took a few sips of miso and then poked around his salad. She shifted uncomfortably, occasionally wiping her clammy hands down on her scrubs. He noticed, and he made sure she knew he had noticed because he smirked. "You're scared, aren't you?"
Before she could respond, he cut her off. "So. What happened between you and Naruto last night that was so inappropriate to talk about here?"
She felt her face become hot immediately at the fact that he had actually been listening that morning when she and Naruto both thought he had been sleeping. "Um...i-it's nothing...it's between us…"
"Did you two have sex?" The bold question made her sweat bullets and she felt her mouth become dry. Was he psychic? She looked away, regretting having sat down with him. "Um, S-Sasuke-kun, please...that is not appro-"
"Hm...I'm going to guess nothing happened because Naruto would have told me as soon as he came in," then he added with a small smile, "What a shame. You're pretty cute."
Her face and ears and neck felt hot and she dared not look at him. "I-If you don't mind, I still have other patients-"
He suddenly grabbed her face with his hand and forced her to look at him. His eyes were cold and unfeeling, striking fear into her heart and sending shivers up her spine.
"You think Naruto is happy with you?"
She was shaking and she could hear her voice shaking as well. "I...I would hope so…"
"You think you can make Naruto happy, huh?"
Don't be scared. He's been hurt. He's broken. His trauma manifests in anger, but he means well...right? She felt her eyes sting with tears that began to well. "I-I-"
"You're cute. Maybe you should date me instead." Before she could answer, he was kissing her, his other hand holding the back of her head and pressing her mouth hard against his, the hand gripping her face felt painful. She felt the tears slip out and she tried to pull away. No, no, no. Please stop. I can't hurt you. Please don't take advantage of me.
She heard the door slide open and Sasuke's grip on her only tightened so that she couldn't turn to see who it was.
There was no movement. Sasuke finally released her and she immediately turned to see Naruto standing at the door with wide eyes.
Everything felt like it was shattering. She quickly stood up, her tears causing her vision to blur. "N-Naruto-kun...it's not-"
"I got it. I know." Naruto said coolly, looking away. "I was just coming to check on him, but looks like you beat me to it hehe!" He scratched the back of his head and then shrugged a shoulder. "Alright, I'll leave now."
"W-Wait, Naruto-" The door slid shut with a loud clack and she listened to his footsteps become quieter as he disappeared down the corridor. Hinata was left in shock, staring down at her feet and watching her tears hit the floor.
Sasuke yawned and stretched. "Hm, your lips taste like vanilla. Too sweet for my liking."
She suddenly ran out, pushing past people who gave her confused looks and shoving the door open. "Naruto-kun!" She cried out when she saw him heading down the sidewalk to catch the bus. She ran after him, throwing her arms around him and burying her face into his back. "N-Naruto-kun, wait, please!"
"Hinata, you should go back to work. I don't want you to get in trouble. Plus, people are watching."
"I-I don't care...please, I-I didn't…Sasuke-kun, he…" Her voice trailed off. How could she put the blame on Sasuke? She would villainize him and turn Naruto against him when he needed help. Desperately. What he had done was wrong, and she knew he had probably planned it, but why?
To ruin their relationship?
To hurt Naruto?
Naruto peeled her arms off and turned, giving her a small smile. "I'm not angry at you, Hinata."
"Y-You're...not?" She stammered, rubbing at her eyes. "B-But-"
"Last night I kissed Sasuke." His confession felt like a car ramming into her. He scratched his head, letting out a sigh. "I was about to before I went to see you, and then...I became afraid. I imagined you as him, and you don't deserve that. I wanted to leave and see him, and then I kissed him." He lowered his head. "You're an amazing woman, Hinata. You really are. You're kind and beautiful and everything any man could ever ask for...but Sasuke...Sasuke needs me. And I need him." He dropped to his hands and knees, his forehead nearly touching the ground. "I'm so sorry."
Hinata watched the only man she ever loved break in front of her as he came to the realization, to the truth he had buried within himself for years. His love for Sasuke had always been there, carefully hidden and tucked away. He had suffered silently for years, torn between the friendship he had with him and his repressed feelings. Sasuke was broken and alone and he needed him. He itched for contact, he wanted to hold the man and stay with him always. Now that he was back in his life, he couldn't let him go anymore.
Hinata felt her heart breaking into small pieces but she knelt down and helped the man stand. "I understand, Naruto-kun." Her voice was shaky as she tried to hold back a sob. "Don't do that. Don't lower yourself. You are free to love whomever you want."
"Hinata…" Naruto looked at her pained expression, but her smile was genuine. She touched his face, her thumb wiping away a tear that clung to Naruto's lashes. "Thank you for making me happy these past couple of weeks. I will cherish them forever." Naruto was silent and then he embraced her tightly, breathing in her familiar scent. "Thank you...for everything. You're a great person, Hinata."
She rubbed his back with her hand in an attempt to comfort him. "Go to him, Naruto-kun. He needs you."
He nodded vigorously, letting go of her and smiling before taking off back in the direction of the hospital. Hinata watched him run back, the feeling of letting her only love go and seeing him accept his love for his friend was bittersweet. After letting out a sigh and drying her tears, she trudged back to the hospital, smiling.
"Where's Sasuke?" Naruto asked frantically as nurses scurried everywhere, trying to detect the man who was now missing from his room. "Oi, is anyone going to answer my damn question!?"
"We can't find him!" Sakura said hysterically, running around from room to room and checking the bathroom, the laundry room, the kitchen. She was sobbing loudly. "Did you see him run out!?"
"He's upstairs!" Tsunade called from down the corridor and a huge wave of fear and panic came crashing over Naruto as he began to put together the plan Sasuke must have made up.
Distract Naruto and Hinata, and go upstairs.
It only meant one thing…
"Move!" Naruto shouted, shoving past people and Tsunade and racing up the stairs to the rooftop. There were hot tears stinging his eyes and blurring his vision and he rubbed roughly at them, kicking the door open and looking around frantically to see the sight he had feared he would see.
Sasuke didn't even turn around as he stood on the edge of the rooftop, looking down at the busy road and crosswalk below him, his black shirt and sweatpants flapping loudly in the cool breeze. Swallowing hard, Naruto took a few tentative steps forward. "Oi, Sasuke-"
"You're persistent, aren't you? I thought you'd stay with your girlfriend after all of that."
"Hn...y-yeah, that was totally uncalled for, you teme. You can't go around kissing girls like there's no tomorrow." Naruto tried to joke, taking another few steps. Sasuke didn't respond immediately; when he did, he said, "But there is no tomorrow."
"Yeah, there is. There's tomorrow, and then the next day, and then the next. And then there's April, May, June, July. July! That's when your birthday is. July 23rd, right? We have to plan a party."
"I wish I had never been born."
"But if you had never been born, I wouldn't have met you."
"That would have been for the better."
"You're wrong!" Naruto couldn't mask the alarm in his voice anymore as he tried to quicken his steps. "If I hadn't met you, I would've slow danced in the dark alone, teme!"
"That's why you have your girlfriend to dance with you."
"No. I don't. If I can't dance with you, then I don't want to dance at all." Naruto was breathing heavily, trying to hold back the sobs that were choking him. "You don't get it, do you?"
"Don't come closer, or I'll jump."
"Okay. Okay." Naruto stopped, still a couple of feet away from him. He was so close and yet so far; if Sasuke jumped, would he make it in time to grab him?
"Let's talk. Please. Look, remember when we went on that field trip to Mizu and I fell in the river with the really strong current?"
Sasuke didn't respond, so Naruto took it as a cue to continue. "I thought 'This is it. I'm going to die.' And then you jumped right in after me. I was choking on water but I remember yelling at you that you were crazy. Do you remember what you said?"
Sasuke didn't respond, and anger and desperation threatened to suffocate him. "Do you remember what you said, dammit!? You said you'd rather die with me than be alone without me! So why are you now trying to leave me alone, huh!? Well, I'll tell you the same thing. I want to die with you! Not now, but I want to be by your side forever and die with you! I want to wake up and always see your face next to mine...grow old with you...if you jump now, I'll jump right after you!" The last part he cried out as the dam of tears he was trying to hold back broke. "So either you step down and live with me...or I die with you!"
He took a step closer, and Sasuke stiffened and slowly crouched down as if he were about to jump. Panic swept through Naruto's body. "Sasuke! I love you, dammit, don't jump!"
"Don't come after me." Sasuke's voice was hoarse. "Naruto, you deserve the world. Don't-"
"Shut up! My world is you and if you're not here, then I have no reason to live!"
Sasuke was silent and after a while, he slowly turned to look at Naruto over his shoulder, his black eyes reflecting deep pain and loneliness. "You're making this harder than it needs to be, usuratonkachi."
"Good! Because I want you to look at me when I say this: I love you, dammit, and I want you to get the hell down from there and come into my arms and kiss me!" He stretched his arms out, feeling his face become hot at the boldness of his words.
Sasuke stared at him incredulously before glancing back down at the busy crosswalk, watching as cars zoomed past and people crossed the street to continue on to wherever they were going. Couples, parents with their children, workers. Life continued to move forward, whether he was alive or not.
The man in front of him, however, would not move forward. He would end his own life, right there and then, and Sasuke believed him. Naruto was not one to joke around.
What was he waiting for?
"Usuratonkachi." He lunged forward into his embrace, squeezed so tightly that he could barely breathe, unsure whether his sobbing or Naruto's sobbing was the loudest. He didn't even care that it had begun to rain and he might catch a cold. Everything he had ever wanted was right there, and that was all that mattered.
"You really scared the shit out of me, teme!" Naruto scolded between kisses, holding Sasuke close to him, barely letting him catch his breath. He managed to pull away a bit to look at him, his bright blue eyes full of tears and his hair and clothes soaked.
"Naruto, you're only going to suffer by my side...I'm not okay. I'm only going to hurt you. I have nightmares, I'm depressed-"
"Shut your hole. I know it hurts. I hurt when you hurt, but that's why I need to be with you, so that you don't have to shoulder everything by yourself." Naruto grabbed Sasuke's face, pressing his forehead against his. "Just don't push me away ever again, ne?"
Sasuke bit his lip to stop a sob and he nodded, letting Naruto kiss him as many times as he wanted and in as many varying nuances he wanted. Naruto was the person who had accepted him, flawed and all, and his existence, and that was all that mattered.
He embraced Naruto tightly, squinting as the sun began to finally peek through the clouds, the rain slowly dispersing.
Tsunade practically kicked the door down, the epitome of rage as she slowly stalked over. "Just what the hell is going on!? Naruto, I was nice enough to Hinata because she said you'd take care of it, but goddammit I'm ready to kick the shit out of both of you!"
Naruto kept his arms around Sasuke in a protective cocoon. "I think we've got it solved, ne, Sasuke?" He smiled at the man, whose cheeks became red and he looked away. "Hn."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "What the hell were you thinking coming up here, Uchiha Sasuke?"
Before he could answer, Naruto quickly interjected. "He was practicing for our dances in the dark, Grandma!"
"Ehhhh?" She deadpanned with a look of disbelief on her face. "What the hell are ya talking about, kid?" A few of the nurses, including Hinata, were gathered at the door, now listening attentively to the conversation. Naruto frowned at her. "W-Well...it's because I want to be with Sasuke for the rest of my life, ya know!"
Everyone, including said man but excluding Tsunade, were red-faced at the boldness of Naruto's words; the woman rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. We all knew that, you fool."
"EH!? How!?" Naruto demanded, his own face becoming red with embarrassment. "W-Was it really that obvious?"
"Yep. Now both of you get the hell back into the building before I kick your asses!" Her threat echoed loudly and both men nodded vigorously. She turned around, barking orders at the nurses who quickly scurried away down the stairs.
Naruto took Sasuke's hand with a smile. "Let's go back and help you get better, ne?"
Sasuke's eyes travelled down to the big, warm hand over his. It fit perfectly, and it was so familiar and comforting. So comforting that he never wanted let go.
Sasuke sat up with a gasp, drenched in cold sweat. He realized a second later that Naruto's arm had been draped over his abdomen, and with the sudden movement, he had woken him up.
"Nn...what's wrong?" The blond slurred, rubbing his eyes and sitting up slowly. Sasuke bit down on his fist, trying to silence the oncoming sob. Naruto heard and it was enough to make him alert because he was about to reach over and turn the lamp on.
"Don't. I'm fine." Sasuke stopped him by grabbing his arm. Even in the darkness of their room, he could see Naruto's concerned expression from the moonlight that filtered through the curtains.
Almost three years had passed since his suicide attempt and hospitalization, and he was still tormented by nightmares.
He heard Naruto fumbling around in the drawer beside their bed and he heard the familiar sound of his pill bottle. "Do you think you need one?"
He was pretty shaken and he considered it for a second before shaking his head. "No...no, I'll be fine."
Naruto's skin was warm as he embraced him, gently rubbing his back in a comforting manner. "I'm here, okay?" Sasuke nodded against his neck and Naruto pressed a kiss to his shoulder. "Ne, you up for a dance?"
"Are you crazy? It's like two in my morning."
"So? Slow dancing in the dark is the best with you."
Feeling slightly embarrassed but giddy at the same time, he let the blond have his way, humming and guiding him along, careful not to step on his feet or have him trip. His bare chest was warm and comforting; he was glad Naruto had grown out of sleeping in tees.
"Ne, I've been thinking…"
"Wow, you actually do that? Ow." Sasuke hissed when Naruto pinched his cheek in retaliation. "What have you been thinking?"
"I want to have a family with you."
He stopped, looking at the blond's face illuminated by the moonlight. He could tell he wasn't joking. "I don't know. I'm not as stable as I would like...I don't want to be a burden to our children."
"Sasuke, you could never be a burden. We were both deprived of a family and maybe this will help fill that void. I know you feel it sometimes...I love being with you and nothing makes me happier...but to be able to have a family with you is something that would make my life complete."
Sasuke was still unsure. "We're both guys, though."
"I know the perfect person who can help us."
Naruto held Sasuke's hand, a big smile on his face while the man rested his chin on his fist and crossed and uncrossed his legs, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible.
"So, we'd really like it if you'd be our surrogate!"
Hinata's mouth was wide open, not realizing that the tea she was pouring into her cup was spilling. When Naruto reached out to touch her hand and make her stop, she visibly flinched, startled and she shook her head vigorously. "S-Sorry! I...I don't know what to say...I-"
"You don't have to, but we'd really appreciate it if you could. You are a great person, Hinata, and you've supported us this entire time." Naruto said with a hopeful smile.
Seeing the only man she had ever loved give her that sweet smile was too much. Hinata wanted her beloved Naruto to be happy, but the thought still terrified her. She had always wanted to be a mother and of Naruto's children at that, but factoring in Sasuke was frightening. He didn't even seem interested; in fact, he seemed irritated to be there at all.
He turned to look at her, startling her. "Well? Will you? Naruto won't shut up unless you say yes."
"Y-You want me to be your surrogate, Sasuke-kun?"
"Hn…" Sasuke scratched the back of his head, looking away. "I mean, you're bearable and I tolerate your existence...so yeah. I mean, if Naruto wants to, then yeah."
She felt her face become red at his words, and she wringed the hem of her shirt mercilessly. "I...I'm very honored, but I'm a bit terrified...birth is a bit scary…"
"Well, let's talk, then!" Naruto said in excitement, pulling out a stack of books he had brought with him in a backpack.
Sasuke glanced over at the blond as he chattered away with the woman, who despite looking terrified at the prospect of mothering the children of her ex-boyfriend who was now with a man, was also more than willing to do so and excited.
Naruto's brightness was like a disease, and he infected everyone he came across.
He grabbed the man's face, surprising him and pulled him in for a kiss. When he broke away, Naruto was red-faced and blinking in surprise. "Sasuke?"
"Thank you, Naruto."
He didn't need to elaborate; Naruto understood him completely. He smiled at Sasuke, pressing his forehead against his. "Thank you for loving me."
"I love you." He muttered against his neck as Naruto put an arm around him, pulling him close as the three inspected the books he had brought with him on surrogacy. Naruto heard; the smile on his face never disappeared the rest of the afternoon, never disappeared the rest of their life.
When Sasuke looked in the mirror, he too saw that smile slowly form over time, and he knew it was Naruto who had saved him from himself.